GERMAN COAL OUTPUT

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23860, 10 January 1941, Page 8

GERMAN COAL OUTPUT

HEAVY DROP IN RUHR DISTRIBUTION DIFFICULTIES (Received January 0, 6 p.m.) British Wireless LONDON, Jan. 8 Information reaching the Ministry of Economic warfare reveals a tremendous fall in coal production in the Ruhr. One estimate puts the reduction as high as 40 per cent. On the whole, however, production of coal in Germany seems to have been maintained and must be considered adequate, even taking into account the position in the Ruhr. Such coal shortage as there exists is the result of failures in distribution. British bombers have contributed to these by disturbing night shunting operations and interfering with railway traffic. Reductions of working hours owing to the blackout have also increased track disorganisation. There is a grave shortage of railway trucks and waggons. The Germans undertook to supply Italv with 1.000.000 tons of coal a month and up to September the commitment appears to have been surprisingly well fulfilled. The Ministry of Economic Warfare has evidence to show that since then there has been a considerable falling off in Gorman supplies to Italy. German coal exports to other countries have decreased by 10 or 15 per cent. In Germany, too. there has been a shortage of coke since 193S and since then there has been a 20 per cent reduction in available supplies. The authorities recently found it necessary to appeal to housewives to mix coal and coke in the proportion of one part to five. SUBMARINE OVERDUE LOSS OF HEGULUS PRESUMED British Wireless LONDON, Jan. 8 The Admiralty announces that the submarine Rcgulus is overdue and must be considered lost. The Regultis was of the Rainbow type with a standard displacement of 1475 tons and 2030 tons submerged. She was completed in J930. She had a surface speed of 17.5 knots and a submerged speed of five knots. She carried one tin. gun, two small guns and eight torpedo tubes. INVASION OF EIRE WARNING BY GERMANS LONDON. Jan. ft The German Propaganda. Ministry quotes a report in a Stockholm newspaper alleging that Britain intends to invade Lire from Lister in a few weeks. In such an event, the Germans state that they are determined to act in the j same manner as they acted in Norway and Belgium. AMERICAN BLOOD DONORS | LONDON, Jan. 8 j Ten thousand Americans have given blood for British people who have | .suffered air raid or other injuries. Over 500,000 Americans have volunteered to j maintain supplies. I here are 100,000 j British blood donors in the Loudon area alone. LIFEBOATS' BUSY YEAR j (Received January n, 7.15 p.m.) LONDON, Jan. 8 Further details of the record of British lifeboats in 1940 show that last year was the most strenuous for 117 years. The number of lives rescued, 2052, was 854 more than in any previous year. The lifeboats helped to save 87 vessels from destruction. Out of 1078 calls for rescue 638 were to vessels in distress because of the war.