IN THE BRITISH ZONE

Timaru Herald, Volume CLVIII, Issue 23392, 26 December 1945, Page 6

IN THE BRITISH ZONE

“Battle Of The Winter”

WRITTEN IN HAMBURG BY W. N. EWER!

THE British Army of the Rhine and the British element of the control commission for Gertnany are deeply engaged in the “Battle of the Winter.” It was Field-Marshal Montgomery who coined the phrase in the summer when the ominous possibilities of the coming winter period first became evident. “We have,” he said, “won the Battle of the Rhine and we have won the Battle of Germany. Now we have to win the Battle of the Winter.”

The “battle” is a struggle to keep the population of the British zone alive and to prevent the outbreak of some major epidemic. The danger is not so much of typhus or typhoid—though that danger exists—as of a mass outbreak of influenza in the population whose powers of resistance have been lessened by under-nourishment and the lack of proper shelter and warmth. Difficulties are tremendous. The population of the zone is approximately 19,000,000 to which are being added at the rate of 10,000 daily something between two and four million refugees expelled from East Prussia, Silesia and Eastern Brandenburg (areas of Germany transferred to Russian and Polish administration) and from Czechoslovakia, all of whom arrive in a state of destitution and for all of whom food and shelter must be found.

who, driven from their homes in the summer during the fighting, have no winter clothes. But there should lie enough to go round, though with no margin to spare, and replacement is going to be impossible for a very long time. The German people look well clad at the moment —thanks to their pillaging of occupied countries. But they will not be so for long. Coal Economy Lastly and basically there is the question of fuel. The whole of German economy, such as it is to-day, is based upon coal output of the Ruhr mines. Coal must be exported both because liberated countries are in desperate need of it and because only by exports of coal can wheat be bought from abroad. Coal is needed to keep the railways running. Armies of occupation—whose needs take precedence of all Germans needs—have large requirements. Essential services, such as lighting, must be maintained. Essential industries — at low level permitted —must have fuel or power. There will be no coal whatever for domestic consumption this winter. In country districts they are busy cutting wood. But in the bigger towns the German people will just go cold.

Feeding plans provide for ration of 1500 calories daily for the ordinary man and woman, with more for heavy workers—about half the average consumption of the people of the United Kingdom. Reckoned in calories it should be just sufficient. But it is a badly balanced diet. The shortage of fats is acute and fats are very important for resistance to cold. Nor even now because of transport difficulties is it possible to ensure the distribution of a full ration in all localities. And in towns there are no local reserves either in larders, in shops or warehouses. A bad breakdown of transport for a week or two by reason of heavy snowfalls cr floods when the thaw conies, may have very serious results in a country living from hand to mouth. Housing Priority The second problem is housing. Of approximately 5,700.000 “Housing Units”—houses or flats—in the zone. ■ 1,700,000 have been totally destroyed either by bombing or in the course of fighting. Another million have been damaged—half of them badly. And there will be these other two million and more refugees to be got somehow under shelter.

All the mines of the Ruhr and Rhineland are under the direction of the North German Coal Control—a branch of the British Military Government—with its headquarters in Baron von Krupps’ enormous family mansion near Essen. It took over control immediately the area came under the Military Government and at once set about, the task of getting the mines to work again. Its achievements in a few months have been more than remarkable. In May, production had dropped to about 5 per cent of the prewar figure. It has already been stepped up to something like 30 per cent, and the curve is still rising sharply. Damaged plants have been repaired, flooded mines pumped free of water, pit props obtained and rail communications With the pit heads restored. But just as the Battle of the Ruhr is the centre of the whole Battle of the Winter, so the Battle of Manpower has been the centre of the Battle of the Ruhr. All this work goes on. But in everybody’s mind is the thought that it will all go for nothing, that the reorganisation of Germany, the control of Germany and even the continued occupation of Germany may be impossible unless the “Battle of the Winter” is won. if there were final collapse with famine and pestilence they could hardly be stopped at the Rhine. This battle of the winter in Germany is the Battle for the Defence of Europe.

First-aid housing repairs therefore have been made a top priority effort to which as much German labour as possible is being “directed," for which all available material is being requisitioned, and for the production of which German firms are being given licences to be supplied with coal. Krupps, for example, in one of their still standing factories, has been set to producing steel tiles for roof repairs. Clothing is no immediate problem for private stocks are ample. A levy is being made on them to provide clothing for refugees and for those