Evening star., 1947-03-31
More Ruhr Miners
Strike 10 Press Their
Demands for Food
BY the Associated Press

ESSEN, Germany, Mar. 81
About 1000 German miners struck
today at Dortmund to enforce de-
mands for increased food for their
families, but 1000 others returned
to four pits that had been closed.
About 10000 persons, including
railway and wagon factory workers,
marched through the streets of
Krefeld, on the west band of the
Rhine, waving banners protesting
food shortages. A similar demon
stration was planned later today in
the coal center of Duisburg. A pro-
test was cancelled at Cologne.
Official figures compiled by the
British-operated North German coal
control office showed a significant
decrease in Ruhr coal production
during the restless period of demon
|strations, although most miners so
far have obeyed union instructions
to remain at work.
Miners May Strike Again.
The coal output, which reached
$4,000 tons March 81, dropped to
23l 900 tons March 28, or about the
average of late February. Current
production may be actually lower
because figures had not been COM
piled for Saturday when the pro-
test strikes started.
The 1000 strikers who returned
to work said they would walk out
again tomorrow if their food de-
mands were not met, The miners
said their families were getting
barely two-thirds of the standard
1850 daily calory ration established
in the British and American zones.
The coal production decline came
at time when British and Ameri-
can authorities were striving to in
crease production by giving miners
benefits denied other Germans such
as higher food quotas, housing pri-
critics and extra allotments of Gig
arettes and liquors.
Reserves Further Depleted.
In a public statement yesterday,
William Asbury, British commits
sioner for the North Rhine-West-
phalia area-embracing the Ruhr,
conceded that full food rations had
not been met in big Ruhr towns
for some time past" He said a
shipping tieup brought on by last
winters freeze of the Rhine and
other waterways had led to deple-
ton of already short reserves. Mr..
Asbury declared that the situation
would not have become so serious
had German administrators zap
piled little more intelligence" by
allowing industry less and rail-
roads more COAL
Meantime, German doctors of the
health department of Frankfurt in
the American zone reported that
rationed food consumed in that city
last November averaged only 1853
calories day-almost 200 calories
under the standard ration. They
estimated actual average daily con-
sumption for the month at 1874
calories and said the extra calories
came mostly from the black market.
They urged that the city ration be
raised and farmers left to depend
on their own harvests.
DR.. Kurt Schumacher, Social
Democratic Party leader, speaking
at Oberhausen in the British zone,
said yesterday that unless the AL
lies gave the Germans more help
in economic recovery the hungry
people likely would listen to new
Hitler. He added that if the Ger
mans voted Communist in the zones
state elections April 20, they would
make mistake similar to that they
made in supporting the Nazis in
1888.
Increase in Production.
Yesterdays semimonthly report of
the American Military Government,
released in Berlin, showed United
States zone industry recovering
gradually from winter difficulties,
with the production of water power,
chemicals and ball bearings on the
increase and textile mills reopening
in March for the first time since mid
December. But it showed, too, that
relief rolls grew 3 per cent from
January to February, when 1,287 851
recipients were listed throughout the
zone.
To stop profiteering in motor
vehicles United States Army head
quarters in Frankfurt yesterday
temporarily prohibited all transfers
of used jeeps and passenger auto
mobiles by or to Allied personnel in
the American zone and said SIM
liar directive for Germans and dis
placed persons was being issued by
the American Military Government
office in Berlin. Headquarters said
the ban would be effective until car
ownership registration procedure
could be revised.
Used jeeps bought from the Army
for $500 or s400 have been reported
sold later for $1,000 or more and
the new German cars bought
through military agencies for $645
are known to have brought over
u