The Wilmington morning star., 1947-05-16
@-sHIP
Continued From Page One)

spend we couldn't get it,"
Even Distribution
He said a decision on a propose
from German officials to cut the
normal consumers ration from
1850 calories daily to 1.130 will
have to be made at the very top
He said some officials maintain
that IF we hold to the present
higher level we get more food
distributed. Others hold that if a
ration is set which can be met,
at least there is more equitable
distribution"
Col. Hester conceded that Ger
many was in a very tight spot
because imports and food collec.
tons yer tagging after a tough
winter but he felt that "the panicky
attitude prevailing in the zones
had made matters nor difficult.
Reports reaching Berlin from the
Soviet zone indicated the Rus
SLAMS were having difficulty in
meeting ration scales, but the
shortage was believed not as criti-
cal as in the British zone. Spring
floods along the Oder destroyed
large areas Of crops.
Soviet-controlled newspapers in
Berlin made political capital OF
the food situation in the West. The
Berlin Zeitung blamed the short
age on the economic merger Of the
U. S. and. British zones, and said
"com,olete anarchy" exists. The
Taegliche Rundschau printed pic
lures of boys on Hamburg streets
searching through garbage cans
for food.
Potato Shortage
Reports from the Soviet zone
said n of the chief complaints
was shortage OF potatoes, with one
German writing that he was re-
ceiving picked cucumbers as a
substitute. German officials Of the
Soviet zone said recently that the
full ration for the zone was assured
for the rest Of the year, but there
were practically no official re-
ports on the ~day-to-day food stu
alton.
British officials in Berlin said
they had no word Of a reported
British plan to use occupation
troops to search for hidden stocks
Of food on farms and to smash
the black market.
"The psychological effect Of such
a plan would be most unfortu-
nate" one official said. More
over, whatever food farmers did
hold back from their quotas is
gone by this time"
1t. Gen. Sir Brian Robertson,
deputy British governor, went into
immediate conference with his top
assistants after returning from an
urgent food conference with For
eign Secretary Ernest Bevin IN
London.
Own Responsibility
Bevin, in a speech to the House
Of Commons. said it was the Ger
mans own responsibility to face
their food problems.
New reports Of local German Of
ficials refusing to carry on their
public duties because they did not
| want to take responsibility for the
food position came from the Bril-
| fish zone.
The Wuppertal town council
said in view Of the food situation
'it was unable to continue Its
political responsibilities" Earlier,
councils in Solingeh, Remscheld
and Brunswick took similar action
in a movement which British Of
ficials felt might paralyze local ad'
ministration If it spread.
The Wuppertal councillors said
they believed there were many
unreliable elements working in
politics and economy and thai
German authorities r hampered
by measures taken by the military
government.
A bright spot in the U. S. zone
was an agreement in Bavaria BE-
tween German trade union leaders
and German government officials
to prevent strikes and demonstra'
tons on the promise Of an increas'
ed bread ration.
The officials said the increase
would come out Of a small Ba-
varian reserve.
Strike Postponed
The possibility OF a protest
strike on May ~ at Stuttgart in
the U. S. zone, where there have
been no mass demonstrations as
vet, lessened when the city's trade
union leader declared the workers
would give the government more
time to improve the food situation.
u. s. GRANTS FRANCE