ARMY FED AT EXPENSE OF OCCUPED LANDS

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIII, Issue 235, 5 October 1942, Page 4

ARMY FED AT EXPENSE OF OCCUPED LANDS

GOERING ADMISSION

Blockade Will Not Affect

German People

United Press Association —Copyright Rec. 2.30 p.m. BERLIN, Oct. 4

Germahy can no longer be blockaded. The whole German army is being fed at the expense of occupied countries. Goering said this at the harvest thanksgiving ceremony in Berlin to-day. He added: "We are anxious that the occupied countries should not hunger, but if the enemy, makes privation unavoidable we are determined that this will not affect the German people.

"Rations in Germany, also in occupied territories, will soon again be increased. The harvest has been the best in years, but 6,000,000 foreign workers and more than 5,000,000 prisoners of war in Germany have also to be fed. Potatoes, butter and meat are now plentiful," Goering said, but he admitted that food stocks were very low at one stage last year after two bad winters and as the result of transport difficulties.

Black markets and adverse working conditions in Germany, with children employed in war industry, were also admitted by Goering, who continued: "German workers are performing miracles under prevailing conditions and long working hours. There has been some sabotage of feeding the people, but 'sharks and profiteers' are being dealt with effectively." Repeating Hitler's threat that Germany would soon retaliate for the heavy R.A.F. raids, Goering declared: "We are now occupied in the East, but this will soon end and we shall take Britain to account. It is hard' for the German people to hold out," yet in holding out they will hold one front. I will make every effort to ease the suffering in air raided territories." . Declaring that the British had no chance of winning the war, he said their first attempt to open a second front had miscarried. "I would be the last to underrate the Americans, who have done colossal things technically, especially in regard to motor cars, radios and razor blades. However, this is not enough for rearmament programmes. It is impossible simultaneously to put an army of millions in the field and treble the number of industrial workers. Americans from the President down are unsurpassed for bluff." Goering concluded by declaring that "It is a crime for the German people to be defeatists when German soldiers are gaining victory after victory." j