The Wilmington morning star., 1946-02-24
Interpreting
The News
BY DEWITT MACKENZIE
AP World Traveller

HEREFORD, Germany, Feb ,,
-P)-This is a critical rno M 20,
in Europe's winter of priv ,ltAI
and with several weeks Of b TIu'
ly cold weather to come tbere or.
grave dangers to be overcome ~
fore spring brings relife.
The Germans who made The v.,.
the war produced this chaob, n o%'
ton are paying for their sins S
ditions vary in different parts Of ".
country but even here in M
British zone where things sIs s
vastly better than the gulity nv
habitantS have any right 10 eyna 40,
there is a threat of epidemics
Precautions Taken
This is due to the unauoidaE,
low rationing, shortage of coal a1S
overcro wding brought about bv tb.
widespread devastation. As VIZ
suit, emergency precautions bava
been taken in the way OF orovidS
ing hospitals doctors and Nurse
The authorities say that the re,,
answer to the threat of epidem;rs
is more food and this means in,
portation because even in prospor.
Gus times Germany always i'm
ported heavily.
Actually the British have oso,
Importing breadstuffs to helm meo+
the crisis. The normal food -ation
allowed the Germans is 1850 cal
cries day although heavw work.
cries a day although heavy work.
ers are granted more. The miners
for instance, get 2,4OO.
However, doctors say 1000 cal,
cries are the minimum on which
health can be maintained and This
means that the average German
is undernourished. One result NJ
this is heavy infant mortality and
in some other parts of Germany
there are reports of epidemic con.
ditions.
The big towns and industrial
areas like the Ruhr are the ones
hardest hit. The farmers in many
sections have been doing well de.
spite q great shortage of fertilizer
Distribution of coal is a serious
problem owing to disorpaniza4;on
of rail and canal transport. Huge
sections Of railroads were destroy.
ed during the war. Inurnerable i'm.
portant bridges were blown up
and are hard to replace. Grea:
quantities of rolling stock were
destroyed or damaged, many re.
pair shops were wiped out and
maintenance of even the undam.
aged cars and engines has been diff.
ficult. Numerous canals upon
which Germany depends so heavily
for transport were blocked and
only now are being put back into
operation.
AS the result of all this trans.
port upheaval there are millions
of tons OF coal mined ana ready
for shipment from the Ruhr with
nothing like enough transport avail.
able to move this fuel upon which
the restoration of the country 50
largely depends.
In the midst of all this hardship
there is an almost unbeievaoly
incongruous touch. Mrs. Mack and
I Immediately noted that the Ger
mans in the British zone-and we
understand that the same is true
in many ether parts of the coun.
try-are far better dressed than
are the folk of the Allied countries
CT Britain, Belgium, Holland, and
France.
That must seem like fairy tale
to the reader and as matter Of
fact my partner and l found it hard
to believe at first glance. But its
true and the explanation is simple
enough il you know how TO look for
it. Britain has been deprived Of
new clothing by inability either 70
import or to manufacture it,
That's the position today but
wait for a bit and see what hap
pens. When the Germans v n
out the present loot they will De
unable to replace it. Then they
get a better understanding Of Wlat
the occupied countries suffered