DEARTH OF FOOD

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 60, Issue 305, 2 October 1940, Page 5

DEARTH OF FOOD

FARMERS LEAVE CROPS.

“GERMANY IN GOOD POSITION.”

THE FRENCH HARVEST

(United Press Association—Copyright.) LONDON, September 30. ,

“The Times” says that the Vichy authorities have banned the export of foodstuffs to Switzerland. The dearth of food is being accentuated each day. Many farmers are not bothering to gather their crops because there is no transport, and the peasants are reluctant to make autumn sowings. The housewives wait in long queues for meagre amounts of food. Many shops are almost empty.

The extreme scarcity includes milk, butter, cheese, sugar, potatoes, soap, and textiles.

Neutral newspaper reports from unoccupied France say that while loyalty to Marshal Petain seems unaffected, there is rising bitterness against the Germans, and also against the VicePremier (M. Laval). V - A message from New York states that the Stanford University Food Research Institute declared that the Nazis could prevent a critical food shortage among the conquered countries by releasing tliq wheat reserve.

It adds: “If Britain maintains.her domestic economy and shipping . she will suffer only a qualitative-reduction in diet. Germanised Poland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, and Norway are threatened with serious shortages. Belgium is in the most serious plight of all. France’s supplies are adequate, but the distribution problem is serious.”

But Germany, according to her Minister for Food (Dr. Walther Darre), has adequate food supplies. He said that all the British prophecies regarding the collapse of Germany’s supplies had proved false. The harvest was only 2 per cent, below the average for 193-1-38. Tho bread supply was secure for a, long period. • • Fats Not Reduced. Germany had 6,200,000 tons of grain in hand. The potato harvest would probably be 60,000,000 tons or 5,000,000 tons above that of last year. Sugar beet had reached a record high level of 20,000,0001 tons. The fat ration would not be reduced and the "meat ration would not be reduced during the winter.

A favourable harvest of root vegetables would permit the fattening of more pigs. Vegetable prospects wero good, but fruit was poor. Deliveries of milk had increased 10 to 16 per cent., making more butter available. Difficulties in Belgium and Holland were greatly exaggerated abroad. It would be their own fault if a few French towns went hungry in the winter. New penalties being imposed in France for unlawful dealings in provisions included the death sentence.

Dr. Darre said nothing about Denmark, where stricter rationing will pome into force to-morrow. There was no rationing in Denmark before the Gez’man occupation. It is pointed out in London that even if the Nazis can get enough'food by plundering their conquered countries, American newspaper correspondents indicate that the Germans are not so successful in keeping up the spirit of the people. One correspondent, after an extensive tour, states in a series of articles, the first of which is entitled “Victorious -Germany—Land of Gloom.” that even at the peak of the German successes the people were sick of the sound of the “viqtory bells,” and there were no cheers when troops passed. The German radio states' that now German-Jugoslav trade agreements have been signed. The most "important provision is the intensification of economic relations between the two countries.

A German agricultural mission has arrived in Budapest and is working out closer food co-operation between Germany and Hungary. The Rome radio says that an Iranian delegation is going to Berlin to negotiate a trade agreement. ,