The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1947-11-12

iiiiu tnSm anywhere
else in the world.
What then is the matter that
causes every newspaper to keen
referring to the "crisis?" What
makes these editors Law every.
thing to the dollar shortage?"
1t is the shortage of food.
Tonight for dinner we had n
small dish of split-pea soup. fol-
lowed by piece of fish. some
potatoes, 2 slices of tomatoes
then a pudding. Price S shillines
or one dollar. We could have
had one slice of bread. but that
would mean no pudding.
Meat and fish markets had
plenty on display, but the ration
allowance is so low that one
could not live on it alone. To
offset this there are literally
hundreds of tea houses where tea
and bread and butter sandwiches,
tarts or plain cookies may be
had. So these places are jammed.
Coffee with meal costs 8 pence
Us cents), and no cream or milk
is allowed at night for it.
But let's visit for a moment
With member of a firm of
three brothers who are export
ers. First looking around to see
that no one was near he answer
ed my query as to what Britain.
must do to get out of the slump
by saying, "It's the govern
ment!" That sounded just like
some of the complaints we make
at home.
I'VE have a government of
'hare-brains'", he said, land
they have tried out everything.
on us. Prices have gone sky-high,
but wages still stay at the old
levels. Then, too, if we do have
the money, we haven't the points,
so what can we do"
Over in a bus station I talked
with a Cockney driver. He was
outspoken and 1 could feel he
was having a good time telling
a Yankee off" did you ever
get up at four in the morning,
ave a cup of tea and one piece
of TOWST, and then drive bus
for hours?" he asked. and
for why?" he continued. Just
so you Yanks can get all the gold
in the world. Next we will be
taking the rings off our wives
fingers and sending them over
for you to bury in the ground so
you can grind us deeper" Warm
ing up to his subject, he asked if
/ knew how many slices of bacon
he calls it BOCKEN-he could
have a week in his ration to go
with his 'towst.' "Two!"
Interrupting to point out that
the u. S. had paid his country
more for the gold they sold us
than it was worth and that we
couldn't eat it either, that we
were taxed to secure the money
to pay for it, he made noise
like a Bronx cheer, and stalked
off.
A railway man of Engiand's
Southern Railway system, had a
different answer. eve had seven
years of war;" he said. I'VE sui
fered millions of dollars in bomb
damage. We are trying to re-
build, and we just don't have the
money to do the things we must.
The government is not to blame;
any government would have had
to face these conditions. We ap-
preciate the help America gave
us, but it wasn't enough to do
more than just tide us along. We
must have food this winter"
More outspoken was a rug
merchant. He cursed the govern
nient-in low tone-as meddling
in everything, putting the bust
nessnlan in the same category
with low criminals, and then ex-
pecting them to do business at a
profit so they could be taxed.
That he was fed-up was evident
by the fact that he had locked up
for the day and was taking a
holiday.
He had me so convinced by
then that l got on a bus with MN
and we went out and saw an
American airliner come into the
London airport.
Newspapers here are having an
even more serious time than at
home. They are so limited on
paper that most only print four
pages and you must get one when
first printed or you won't get one.
They are having a severe tiilie
stree they carry almost no adver-
Using and rely on circulation 10
keep them going. AS a result they
are no where near the hign stan-
dard of our newspapers, either IN
news content or appearance. AN
odd thing is the leaving oianK oi
an outside column on page one
and as additional news breaks II
goes into that space. My Eve
ming News" tonight had but fiVe
inches of news in that column
Tomorrow l visit in some oul
living villages and will then 1lno
out what the smaller ouslnessilie.'
and farmers feel about CONDITIONS nloIes
and the part the United STATES
should play in the recovery OF our