5th November 2005
In late 1945, Victor Gollancz organised “Save Europe Now” – a campaign to persuade the British Government to allow British people to send food parcels to Germany. At the time this was forbidden.
Peggy Duff, later to become well known as Secretary of CND, the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, worked for Save Europe Now from September 1945 to December 1948.
In her book “Left, Left, Left” (Alison and Busby 1971), she describes her experiences as the main organiser of six campaigns over the period from 1945 – 1965. In addition to Save Europe Now and CND, Peggy Duff worked for Common Wealth, the independent socialist party formed by Richard Acland, Tribune, the left-wing newspaper, as a councillor for the London boroughs of St Pancras and Camden, and the Campaign for the Abolition of Capital Punishment.
In the book, she describes how the sponsors and executive of Save Europe Now included well known public figures such as Eleanor Rathbone, Bertrand Russsell, Lord Lindsay of Birker (Master of Balliol), Dr Gilbert Murray (Bishop of Chichester) and Michael Foot, MP and later to become leader of the Labour Party.
I’ve quoted below some extracts from the book. It seems to me they show that there was an active desire among large numbers of people in Britain for reconciliation after the war, and a willingness to help other people worse off than themselves.
“People were asked to send postcards to the office of Save Europe Now indicating their willingness to spare food or (food rationing) points from time to time.”
“By early 1946 sixty thousand people had sent in their postcards. Before long the total reached a hundred thousand.”
Save Europe Now sent a deputation to see Ben Smith (the Minister of Food at the time), but all proposals to allow people to make voluntary contributions were turned down.
John Strachey replaced Ben Smith as Minister of Food in June 1946. “He was willing to give way to Save Europe Now’s demand that people should be allowed to send food parcels abroad either to individuals or for general relief. However when bread rationing was introduced (in the UK) in July, the Cabinet refused to endorse his decision.”
Save Europe Now launched its own relief fund. “By August 1947 we had collected £76,550.”
“In the autumn of 1946 we had our first success on the parcel front. The parcel post for most European countries had re-opened but not for Germany. Save Europe Now was permitted to collect and ship parcels of clothing, shoes, linen and some medicines from individuals in Britain to individuals in Germany.”
“As winter set in and conditions deteriorated…we wrote to our hundred thousand (supporters) and asked them all, during the same week to write to the Prime Minister.”
This met with some success:
“People were to be allowed to send a parcel a month. They had to get a permit from a Food Office and the post the parcel off.”
“There was no parcel post to Germany. It was not scheduled to open until 15th January, abut 6 weeks ahead.”
So for 6 weeks Save Europe Now organised the parcel post themselves, from a tiny office in Victor Gollancz’s publishing offices in Covent Garden.
“I still have nightmares about parcels. It was, as the Post Office said, a complicated scheme. You had to write for, or collect, a four shilling label from Save Europe Now. Then you had to get your permit from the Food Office. Then you posted your parcel to the shipping agent who packed them and shipped them to Germany.”
“For six weeks we coped, sending out thousands of labels and thousand of leaflets explaining the scheme. Customers queued downstairs for labels.”
“On 15 January the parcel post to Germany re-opened and we heaved sighs of relief.”
“Gradually Europe became less hungry. Devaluation in Germany got rid of the black market. Slowly life returned to normal and Victor (Gollancz) began to lose interest in Save Europe Now.”
Comments