ECONOMIC RECOVERY IN EUROPE

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25301, 29 September 1947, Page 7

ECONOMIC RECOVERY IN EUROPE

Paris Conference Issues Full Report PRODUCTION TARGETS SET FOR BRITAIN (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 9.30 p.m.) PARIS, September 27. The full report of the 16-nation conference on the Marshall plan for European recovery was issued to-day. British targets, in addition to those announced last Monday, include a 20 per cent, increase in livestock population and the largest increase in poultry of any of the 16 countries. Britain is also at the top of the list for targets in shipbuilding. All 16 nations hope to make good by 1951 the 22,000,000 gross tons of shipping lost during the war. If the target is reached, Britain in 1951 will have 17,000,000 tons of merchant shipping, and Norway, next on the list, will have 3,800,000 tons. Discussing the British plan to increase coal exports to Europe from 6,000,000 tons in 1948 to 29,000,000 tons by 1951, the report says that the British plan is to increase the total output in 1951 by 50,000,000 tons over the 1948 figure. This will be done by extending the labour force, by extensive capital development, including 20 new sinkings, and by the intensified use of modern mechanised methods.

The mining machinery and supplies of all kinds required for this major effort will cost more than £250,000,000. Nearly all the items required will be produced in Britain itself. Coal production in the British and American zones of Germany will be increased by 60,000.000 tons, but devastation in the mining areas is so great that it will not be possible to regain the 1938 output. Coal production in the Saar wiH reach the 1938 level in 1948, and in 1951 will be 20 per cent, above the 1938 level. Freni h. coal production already exceeds the pre-war output, and France expects that a further expansion of 25 per cent., or 12,000,000 tons, will be attained Ly 1951. It is generally expected that coal production in the participating countries and in western Germany will be in 1951 30,000,000 tons higher than in 1938. Britain has . asked the technical committee on manpower for 120,000 European immigrants, of whom 115,000 should be skilled and 5000 of these coalminers. The committee estimated that 2,555,000 persons in Europe wished to emigrate, but that only 5 per cent, were skilled. No qualified miners were available. x The Associated Press says that the report makes it clear that the objec-

tive of the 16 planning nations is simple and direct. They want American money, so that they can buy American goods heavily during the next four years, but as early as possible they want to make it possible to buy less in America and sell more to America.

The report says that the Ruhr output is essential to the European economy. Hie German potential, it adds, must not be used so as to constitute a threat to European security, but the report expects difficulties in taking Germany off the production of heavy Soods and putting her to producing ghter consumer goods of strictly nonmilitary quality. The report says that an excessive concentration on consumer goods production fa Germany might create insoluble problems for countries which haye traditionally made and supplied those types of goods. Nevertheless, the population of western Germany would be from 8,000.000 to 10,000.000 greater than before the war, and increased trade would be necessary, if only to meet minimum food and raw material

requirements. The farming targets for western Germany would mean great increases in present production, but even by 1951 western Germany would have 13 per cent fewer livestock than in 1938, 30 per cent, fewer pigs, and 40 per cent, fewer poultry.