FOOD RATIONING IN GERMANY

Press, Volume LXXXII, Issue 24814, 2 March 1946, Page 7

FOOD RATIONING IN GERMANY

Concern of Occupying Powers

UNIFORMITY PROPOSED

(N-Z. Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 9 p.m ) LONDON, February 28. The occupying Powers have moved to unify food rationing throughout Germany, says the Berlin correspondent of the Associated Press. The move resulted from the sharp reduction announced bj Field-Marshal Lord Montgomery. America and Russia have proposed that the feeding of Germany should become the four Powers’ concern instead of its being kept on a zonal basis.

o“7al7 al t an ?“ u " ce ment says the food issue was raised at an Allied Control Council meeting by the British representatives. Marshal Zhukov, man informal discussion, strongly supported four-party uniformity in feeding Germany. An American delegate said he also was in favour. The council agreed on the very serious nature of the food problem and emphasised that it was not solely a British problem. The correspondent says the German newspapers and radio have begun to prepare the people for further food cuts.

Russia supported Britain at a meeting of the Allied Control Council in Germany when it was suggested by Britain that the feeding of Germany should be placed under a unified single control instead of being left .on the present zoning system. The object is to remove differences in the food avail? able in the different zones. Germans in the British zone receive 1000 calories a dav. while those in the United States zone get 1500 a day. The monthly report of the Com-mancer-jn-Chief in the United States zone (General J. I. McNarney) makes it clear that the Germans haVe been pulled through the critical winter period, which had been expected, says the Berlin correspondent of the Associated Press. The Germans were averaging 1920 calories a day. with serious deficiencies noted only among the aged. Nutritional surveys showed that women were faring best, some even gaining weight. The people’s health generally was holding up. They were peaceful and obedient. It was disclosed that there are still 556.000 displaced persons in the zone, half of them stateless. The industrial sjtqa? tion had improved with an estimated output JO to 12 per cept. of the current capacity, but it was still far from meeting reasonable requirements. The British Minister of Food (Sir Ben Smith) said that the gap between world needs and the world supplies of wheat and cereals was widening each week.

The Australian Government is to carry out a review of the Army rations. Broadcasting from Washington, the New Zealand Prime Minister (the Rt. Hon. P. Fraser) appealed to the Ajneri? can people to give all the help pos? sible to the starving peoples. The United States arid Russia have agreed with Britain that responsibility of feeding Germany should be a fourPower task and not as at present according to zones.