Greymouth Evening Star. SATURDAY JUNE 1, 1946. Feeding Germany

Greymouth Evening Star, 1 June 1946, Page 4

Greymouth Evening Star. SATURDAY JUNE 1, 1946. Feeding Germany

one wit]) a sense of fairness, will deny the merit of the contention by a speaker in the House of Lords debate on the food question, reported yesterday, that all the other United Nations should come down to something like the British level of food consumption before the British people are asked to restrict themselves still more. Although a motion expressing this opinion was proposed by an opponent, it is noteworthy that Lord Addison, on behalf of the Government, accepted it, as well as a,.statement that the food rations of the British people should be improved as speedily as possible.

The main reason for the inability of the Government to provide a higher rationing scale for the people of the United Kingdom, who throughout the war years bore their heavy sacrifices with admirable patience, is that food has had to be diverted to the starving peoples of Europe. As was mentioned in. the House of Lords debate, there have been huge demands from the authorities in Germany, demands which have called forth sharp comment and aroused not a little suspicion.

Russia alone gained substantial food resources in her zone of occupation, which comprises the principal agricultural regions of Germany. The industrial areas held by the Western Allies have had to be supported by heavy food shipments. The United States Secretary of State, Mr. Byrnes, has revealed that his country will have spent no less than 200,000,000 million dollars by June 30 on importing food into its zone, and expects to spend as much again in the following 12 months. Not unnaturally he has. declared that the United States is not prepared to accept such a financial liability. The burden of feeding the Germans has fallen just as heavily on Britain. The Chancellor of the Exchequer disclosed in his last Budget that the civil administration of the British zone was costing the British taxpayers the gigantic sum of £80,000,000 a year, so that they were, as he remarked, “virtually paying reparations to Germany!” The curtain has come down on the areas in the Russian zone, with all its vast food resources. There is no machinery foi the administration of Germany as a whole, with the result that the economy of the country is lop-sided. The western zones comprise largely industrial areas, while the eastern zone is mainly agricultural country. Therein lies the reason for the drain on the food resources of the Western Allies, while Russia does little, if anything, to help.

The crux of the problem is the failure oi the Great Powers to reach agreement on the question of administering Germany as an economic whole. The country, accoiding to Mr. Byrnes, “is split into four almost watertight compartments.” Since that remark was passed, however, the Western Allies have made a considerable advance in the direction of better co-op-eration and liaison. If is a remarkable fact that more than a year has elapsed since the capitulation without coherent organisation of production for the whole country. Urgent action is required, even to the extent of emergency measures only. r lhat is an obvious need. Whatever long-range plans may be matured at greater leisure there is no sign of agreement at present — it is imperative that the German economy should be made to function, so that the country which is already a severe dram upon the resources of Europe may not drag the Continent down in its own collapse.