PAPER FABRICS ON CONTINENT

Dominion, Volume 38, Issue 3, 28 September 1944, Page 5

PAPER FABRICS ON CONTINENT

Replacement With Wool (Received September 27,11.30 a.m.) LONDON, September 27. Available information is that wool is practically unknown for civilian clothing in Continental Europe, and available wearing apparel consists of various synthetic fibres, while paper fabrics are used extensively. In some occupied countries clothing is almost impossible to obtain, and the small quantities available sell at famine prices. In some cases no clothing is manufactured and in others only paper fabrics are available. Re-clothing Europe will cleayly rank among the urgent tasks as the successive areas are liberated. British and American mills and clothing factories are producing good wool garments for Continental relief, and latest official announcements here indicate that British production for relief is being considerably increased. The wool trade here rejects the theory sometimes heard that liberated Europe after five years of synthetic clothing will have less use for wool in the future, and the trade here is convinced that the very reverse will obtain. The extensive use of synthetics has been of necessity rather than choice and though the Continent may have made advances in synthetic fibre technique, while denied access to wool there is good reason to suppose that continental peoples eagerly await wool clothing. Tile trade believes the relief clothing preparations here are designed to benefit the liberated peoples before the approaching European winter descends ami supplies are the more urgent following reports of fuel deficiencies on the Continent.

In the last few days the Wool Federation of France has succeeded in conveying greetings to the British Wool Federation. with a request that the greetings of the French wool trade be extended to all wool trade, friends in Britain. New Zealand, Australia and South Africa. The message says: “We have suffered much from the war, but our spirits have always been high and our confidence in final victory unimpaired.” Mr. Arthur Crossland, president of the British Wool Federation, returned cordial greetings to the French federation and the liberated wool and textile industries of France.