NORWAY’S WINTER

Grey River Argus, 5 August 1940, Page 5

NORWAY’S WINTER

MAY BE HARDEST For Hundred Years [British Official Wireless] (Received August 4, 7 p.m.) RUGBY, August 3. From time to time reliable news reaches London from countries now occupied by Germany, giving some idea of conditions prevailing there.' One fact almost always stands out in tneir accounts, namely, a shortage of goods already existing, and the likelihood of the food situation worsening in the near future. The current issue of “The Economist” contains facts which disclose that plundering of all available foodstuffs from these countries by Germans for consumption within Germany is the chief cause of this state of affairs. The journal states that all news indicates Norway will face the most difficult winter for a century. The situation w'th regard to food may become as desperate as during the Napoleonic wars, when Norwegians were forced to take such steps as blending their flour with bark. It has been announced by German-con-trolled radio stations that massed slaughtering of livestock is already in full swing, that harvest prospects are bad owing to lack of rain, and that production of milk, butter and - hiese hashas decreased considerably in the last few months. In view of this scarcity of food, it is worth pointing out that, before the invasion, Norway was well stocked against any emergency. According to authoritative sources in London, Norway then possessed grain for two years’ normal consumption. Information reached London that stocks of food had been taken from Norway to Germany. Norway had stocks of sugar for six months, but it was announced, the other day, in order to meet Norway’s urgent need, Sweden was releasing 5,000 tons of her own stocks. Similar details are disclosed relating to the seizure of stocks of oil by the Get mans.