Evening star., 1947-02-20
Fresh Snow Blankets
England and Wales,
Blocking Roads Again
by the Associated Press

1 LONDON, Feb. .20.-European
weather, a critical factor in the
battle against Britain'S fuel and
power shortage, turned worse
| today.
Snow fell in most districts OF Eng
land and Wales. In Northeast
Yorkshire some roads just cleared
of drifts were blocked again.
Continental countries without ex-
ception reported subnormal tenn
peratures and no sign of an early
break in the cold wave which first
struck more than a month ago.
| Practically all regions were short
of fuel and in some areas food sup
plies were drained to the danger
| point.
Apparently no serious disruption
of rail traffic resulted from the con-
tinuing storm in Britain. The Min
istry of Fuel and Power reported no
change in plans to restore power
service Monday to factories in the
Midlands, one of the three industrial
areas blacked out since February 10
by the governments coal conserva-
ton order.
Despite the governments Ego
ahead" for the Midlands, factories
permitted to reopen are unlikely to
get back into full production for
some time.
L. P. Lord, chairman of the Aus
Motor
Birmingham factory, employing IT,
900, would remain closed for at least
three more weeks because of the
need for coal as well as power. Rov-
er'S, another auto manufacturing
firm, said production would be lin
tited to three-day week.
200 Ships Locked in Ice.
Guarding against interruption OF
seaborne shipments of coal from
northeast ports, the admiralty sent
two minelayerS into the North Sea
to investigate the danger of ice foes
clogging shipping lanes.
Copenhagen reported some 200
ships locked in frozen Scandinavian
waters. A Swedish naval officer was
quoted as saying "the worlds best
icebreakers could not break the ice
surrounding our country"
In Norway, Oslo's 100000 inhabi-
tants were back under wartime elec-
tricity restrictions. Radio appeals
were directed to Denmark'S 4,0000 600
people to use less coal and conserve
gas supplies.
Berlin reported a low Of IA de-
grees. The Berlin health Office said
ITO persons had died of the could
from December l to February II.
Newspaper reports said 127 had died
of the cold in Saxony and Thuringia
during January.
Leaden skies blanked out the sun
over France. The temperature in
Paris was % degrees and more snow
was predicted.
Six exposure deaths in less than
48 hours were reported at the Bel
gian coastal town of Nieuport.
Violent winds and rain continued
to sweep Portugal.
Britain Reshapes Program.
Meanwhile, Britain prepared to
reshape its entire postwar economic,
industrial and financial recovery
program-without abandoning its
specialization plans-as a result of
the impact of the waning fuel crisis.
government spokesman said.
Spadework will be left to the
Board of Trade, whose experts are
considered best prepared to assess
crisis effects because of their close
concern with domestic and foreign
trade and production.
AS soon as their findings on pro-
duction losses are available, the
cabinet will revise the nations re-
covery program, the informant said.
Reduced production of machinery.
housing construction elements and
consumer goods in turn will impose
a heavier drain on Britains dwind- |
ling dollar resources.
The spokesman said it brought
nearer the time when exports sim
ply must" pay for imports.