Evening star., 1941-05-10
Food Is No. | Problem
As Occupied France
Studies Her Plight
Natives Derive Bitter
Merriment by Corieotures
Of Their Miseries
last OF a Series
BY PRESTON GROVER,
Foreisn Correspondence of The Star

OF her plight while she gropeS for
some hint as to which is the best
way to turn
Unlike in Germany, where au-
thorities frown on spoofing cartoons
about food rations, the French are
forever Caricaturing their miseries.
But underneath the merriment
which appears in the newspapers
and magazines Is genuine concern
on the part of heads of families as
to how they are going to feed their
dependents.
Millions were made joblesS by the
German invasion. However, in re-
cent months there has been progress
In reducing unemployment.
In the Paris region, the unemploy-
ment total has dropped from an
estimated 100000 to approximately
100000.
Skilled Workers Sought.
Germany is advertising for skilled
French workers 20 60 to Germany.
where they are promised wages
which will permit married men to
SFllu &,JOb II dllOS n IIlOlllll W tIltll
families and permit single men to
save 500 francs monthly.
at Official exchange rates $500
francs would come to about S37, but
that means more in France than in
the United StatesD
How many have accepted these
offers is not generally known. on
eially it was stated early in March
that 25000 French workers already
had gone to Germany.
In the mining areas of northern
France, German authorities are
making real effort to get industry
going-wlth a double pupose of get
ting France on its feet and pro-
ducing raw materials which Ger
many can use.
Miners Paw Increased.
One of the first moves of Ger
man authorities on entering Lor-
ralne and Calais coal mine fields was
TO order blanket increase in wages.
Even the French authorities con-
ceded that wage increases we're long
overdue. and this had the immediate
effect of inducing many workers to
return to the mines, even when they
knew that the coal and iron would
60 to the conquering nation.
To prevent imitation, French au-
thorlties fixed wage levels in many
industries at the beginning of the
var, and shortly before the German
invasion wages in virtually all in
dustries were frozen at current
levels.
German authorities. having avail
able approximately 100000 francs
daily supplied by France to pay the
costs of the army of occupation,
have in many instances offered wage
increases to workers employed in re-
building bridges. railroads and high
ways damaged in the campaign.
Workers in these brackets are rel
stively we'll off
But more serious is the plight of
many unemployed Frenchmen who
were dependent upon the govern
ment dole for support of their
families.
Black Market" Is Expensive.
The unemployment allowance for
man and wife and two children in
the Paris vicinity is approximately
28o francs a week.
At inexpensive shops at which the
Frenchman buys he is able to pur-
chase all that his ration cards allow
for about $50 to 200 francs. But
that is pretty thin living.
Like many another Frenchman he
expects to have to go to the black
market Gllegally operated for the
balance of what dieticians consider
he will need for the health of his
family. At this market he must pay
prices far above his reach. Thus his
plight is decidedly uncomfortable.
Frenchmen eat quantities of bread,
but the daily allowance of 200 grams
about equal to four slices-is all
his ration card now permits him,
and even further reductions are
possible.
Even families with adequate funds
TO buy what they need are having
difficulty finding anything to pur-
chase.
The Frenchman is permitted 3ac
grams of meat a week, but at pres
ent he is lucky if he gets as much
rs 160 grams.
Butter Is Scarce
While there is plenty of bread
available to fill the limited rationS.
that situation is not true of butter,
for instance.
Milk distribution also is tightly
limited to growing youngsters and
1nvalids.
However, as yet very little real
hunger misery has been brought to
the attention of this reporter in a
stay of several months in Paris. 1t
Is the outlook ahead which is most
to many Frenchmen.
They see millions of troops rowing
over Europe, drawing heavily on
transportation. At the same time
sea routes from which France once
was partly supplied are cut off by
blockading navies.
This correspondent toured several
spots of German-occupied France
this spring and found fields carefully
cultivated and grain crops we'll ad-
Some farmers report that !
fertilizer is limited Some travellers |
report that many fields in the .
section of unoccupied .
France are not planted.
Fish Supply Curtailed.
Ordinarily the French have OBJ
fsined many fish from the huge
Breton fishing fleets. but current
uar activities have reduced the fish
ing feet operations considerably.
Neutral observers insist that If
che French authorities organized |
food distribution as we'll as it is
in Germany, there would |
be less of shortage than at present |
but the average Frenchman will !
reply that he simply won't be
in any such manner.
One thing is noticeable in Paris: