BRITAIN TO ASK RUSSIA TO HELP FOOD SITUATION

Greymouth Evening Star, 15 April 1947, Page 7

BRITAIN TO ASK RUSSIA TO HELP FOOD SITUATION

(Recd. 11.15 a.m.) LONDON, April 14. ’ Sir Henry Turner, Controller of the Food Ministry’s meat and livestock division, said he expected supplies in 1947 to be down dramatically on 1946 supplies. “The effect of the shortage of home-killed supplies will be almost the same as if Britain did not get a single ounce from the Argentine.” The Ministry had, he said, “gone to the ends of the earth” to get all the meat it could. The Associated Press Geneva correspondent quotes official British sources as saying that Harold Wilson overseas trade secretary, who will lead the trade mission to Moscow, would try to obtain wheat supplies from Russia so as to ease or possibly end bread rationing in Britain. Mr Wilson will consult the British Cabinet before flying to Moscow on April 18.

British sources said that wheat, timber and food supplies, including canned goods, would head the list of commodities Britain would present to Russia.

“We are aware that Russia can become one of the most important world markets *for British consumer goods and may provide a big part of the answer to our dollar problem when she can spare more food. “We do not expect to achieve miracles during the forthcoming exchanges. but we hope to establish Anglo-Russian trade more firmly than it has been since 1917.” said officials.