Britain Ends Food Buying From U.S.

Northern Advocate, 1 September 1947, Page 4

Britain Ends Food Buying From U.S.

(Rec. 11 a.m.) LONDON, Aug. 31. “It isn’t much use American film magnates and the rest complaining that we are ruining their trade,” said the Minister of Food (Mr Strachey) in a speech at Dundee. “Unfortunately, America does not buy very much from abroad over her high tariff system, and the only way we can earn dollars is to export things to the United States. “That is why we, in effect, have cut out American films, economised drastically. on American petrol and must do without any American foodstuffs. “We have, for the time being, stopped all food purchases from the United States.

“We haven’t stopped buying in order to injure America.

“We just cannot afford the dollars. “Loans or any assistance under the Marshall or any other plan, at best, are only stop-gaps. ‘We must not rely on them.”

Discussing the purchase of food from the Dominions, Mr Strachey said that although pounds sterling could be used, they were only useless bits of paper unless Britain supplied the right kind of goods for the Dominions to buy. Bread Will Drain French Finances (Rec. 11.0 a.m.) PARIS, Aug. 31. The Prime Minister (M. Ramadier), in a speech today, said the purchase of bread in the coming year might cost the nation its last financial resources.

The wheat shortage would be critical in November and world, allocations would not maintain the bread ration, even at the present low level. It then would be necessary to pay countries outside the scope of the international authority very high prices for wheat. M. Ramadier was referring to Argentina, from whom France refused to buy wheat last year because of the price.