GERMAN FOOD

Waikato Times, Volume 106, Issue 22612, 17 May 1945, Page 5

GERMAN FOOD

ALLIED ARMIES FIRST RESOURCES MOBILISED AVOIDING IMPORTATION (Official Wireless) RUGBY, May 15 All trade, industries and food resources in Germany are being mobilised by the Military Government authorities under a coordinated plan to feed and equip the occupying armies, reports a correspondent. Only when the Allied needs have been completely met and imports from Allied Powers have been cut to a minimum will the Germans obtain their own products for themselves. “We are endeavouring to produce from German services every need of the British Army,” said a British Military Government officer. “Anything left over the Germans can have. We are here to avoid importing vast quantities of materials from the United Kingdom and other Allied sources. Every pound we save and obtain from the Germans will be a pound more for the people at home. We are not in any way concerned with the rehabilitation of German industries for the German people. We are restarting them to meet the bare minimum needs of the Allied armies.” The officer added that the removal from the Reich of considerably more than 11,000,000 displaced persons raised urgent problems for the harvest and the food processing industry. “Someone has to replace them," he said, “and the use of prij soners of war is under considerai tion.” 1 AMERICAN OCCUPATION I PENALTIES FOR INFRACTION WASHINGTON, May 15 j The full meaning of the stem mili- ! tary government which the United ! States is imposing on Germany in J the American occupation zone is | found in the penalties provided for ! infractions. The death sentence may j be imposed for more than a dozen offences, including espionage, com- ! munication of information which ! may endanger the Allies, unlawful ' possession of firearms, conduct or ! acts supporting the Nazi party, acting in defiance or contravention of the terms imposed on Germany. Heavy sentences await those who disobey the curfew, offer bribes to members of the Allied forces, or re- | fuse to give required information, j Collective fines may be imposed on a ! community where a substantial numj ber of residents are found collec- ! tively responsible for offences. I Three types of military governj ment courts have been established—- ! the general court may impose any sentence, including death, the inter- ; mediate court may impose imprisoni ment to ten years and fines up to j 10,000 dollars, and the summary court may impose sentences up to ! one year and fines up to 1000 dollars.

' sians themselves that is a compelling ; factor. For Poland it is now probably ! tragically too late to do anything but protest, but other and still larger ! matters are on the agenda in which j the same question of the tactics to !be pursued by the Russians will I inevitably arise. | Kingsley Martin, editor of the New ' Statesman and Nation, writing from San Francisco says the general conclusion reached on Russia’s attitude | is that she still so fears British and American plans for Germany and | Europe that she is determined her- ; self to make a cordon sanitare j against the west, completely exclud- ; ing her Allies from any share in all eastern Europe. j He adds: “1 have talked with those j with most opportunity of studying Russia and they say this is not bad i faith on Russia’s part .but simply an j entirely different way of thinking land a different and often mysterious [ way of conducting diplomacy. Russia does want to co-operate, but not on territory she regards as her private J beat.”