INDIAN FOOD MISSION IN BRITAIN

Press, Volume LXXXII, Issue 24801, 15 February 1946, Page 5

INDIAN FOOD MISSION IN BRITAIN

(Rec. 5.5 p.m.) LONDON. Feb. 13. The Indian food mission has arrived in London and opened preliminary discussions with the Ministries of Food and War Transport.

BRITISH WOMEN PROTEST

(Rec. 7.30 p.m.) LONDON, Feb. 14. Housewives formed queues to hear speakers at an Ilford Hall mass meeting held in protest against the food situation. Those who failed to get in stood in the rain and listened to speeches through a relay system. Women from several London boroughs heard speaker after speaker condemn the policy of the Minister of Food (Sir Ben Smith) as "disgraceful and rank injustice.” the moment. Differences have arisen, but the sum of what has been achieved by agreement is enormous and heartening. The complete disarmament of Germany is going forward apace. All industrial plants for producing arms, ammunition, and implements of war, aircraft of every kind, and seagoing ships are being eliminated. General agreement has been reached (subject to arranging an export plan) for the elimination of the production of primary aluminium, magnesium, synthetic petrol, synthetic rubber, synthetic ammonia, anti-friction bearings, heavy machine tools, heavy agricultural tractors, and war chemicals, including toxic products from bacteriological or plant sources. Little or po capacity for export will be retained in machine manufacturing and engineering industries, jvhich will be brought down to the level of Germany’s reduced domestic requirements. This limitation applies to the production of cars, trucks, and buses, to heavy electrical, metallurgical equipment, and to constructional equipment, such as heavy cranes and excavators. Even the production of light agricultural tractors will be limited to 5000 a year. General agreement has been reached that the permitted list of German exports should include coal. coke, light electrical equipment, textiles, clothing, toys, musical instruments, beer, wine, and spirits The most important items still to be determined are iron and steel goods, and these c?nnot be de- i termined until the level of industry is decided. J