Evening star., 1947-11-12

TO the Editor Of The Star:
The National Industrial Conference Board
reports that the United States is shipping
coal to Europe this year at the rate OF 55o
times the average of 1935-1939.
These shipments have been at the rate OF
100000 tons monthly during this year, and
the Department of Commerce reports that ship
ment for September was 100000 tons. 1t Is
presumed that this latter rate will be con-
tinued or accelerated under the Marshall plan
involving an estimated 100000 tons year.
Let us see what the effect Is now and WILL
be of this prodgious volume OF this kind OF
bulky freight on the American transportation
system alone If we allow one week Tor the
run around of the cars from mine to port and
return, loading and unloading, the operation
requires $4,000 Cotton cars in continuous move
ment. For the transport Of 4,610OO0 tons OF
coal from American to European ports calls
for $50 to 900 ships of 10000 tons capacity,
allowing 5 to 6 weeks for the out and return
voyage.
In Mr.. Lewis H. Browns Report on Europe
made by request to Gen. Lucius D. Clay,
commander in chief of the European COM
mand, Mr.. Brown says:
when I went into Germany to study the
problem of German recovery, expected that
the answer would be found in Germany. But
as my studies developed. it became amazingly
clear that the crux Of the recovery problem
of Germany and Western Europe lay IN the
digging and exporting of coal by Great Britain.
"Before the war, coal was supplied by boat
from Great Britain to the large ports Of Europe.
Around these ports had grown up the in
dustrial areas of these various countries. Coal
that was not used in the immediate areas was
sent by short rail hauls to other industrial
centers or was transported by coal barges
through rivers and canals.
British Power Based on Coal
mot only was Great Britain in prewar days
the largest suppler of coal in Western Europe,
but coal was the basis Of her diplomatic power.
"The fact that Great Britain is no longer
exporting coal to Western Europe Is one OF the
biggest contributing factors to the dollar
shortage with which she Is now struggling
attempting to overcome this problem by resort
ing to austerity, nationalism and socialism.
In the meantime no progress mas oeen mace
in Western Germany in the past year IN the
restoration of industrial production. Municipal
power plants that supply thousands OF small
plants have been operating at small percent
age of capacity due to shortage of COAL
IF a moratorium could be declared for one
100000 tons of coal out Of Germany,
revolutionary dynamic would be inserted into
the whole picture of Western Germany and
Western Europe If these 100000 tons OF
coal now exported from Germany could be
used for year or is months within Germany.
the restoration of not only Germany but OF
Western Europe could be assured.
"The only way, however, that this mora
torium on the export of coal from Germany
can take place is for the countries Of Western
Europe to be again supplied by coal from
Great Britain
Great Britain has the coal. She has the
barges with which to haul 1t. She has the
miners with which to dig the coal. The miners
themselves, 1 am assured, would dig the coal
II they were given incentives. They can be
given such incentives. The only real obstacle
is the theological theory of the present Labor
government that places dependence upon
socialization and naturalization, rather than
the incentives that have always induced men to
work.
According to the latest reports Germany
at the present is exporting at the rate Of TO-
100000 tons per year. This is largely going TO
the countries in Western Europe which were
In prewar days supplied by coal from Great
Britain.
"If the miners of Great Britain, led by their
government in second great battle to save
Britain, would work every Saturday they could
in the course of year produce 100000 addi-
tional tons of coal. If England could export
coal to the countries of Western Europe, the
tide of world affairs might well be turned. IT
100000 tons of this 100000 tons could be
used to supply those countries now getting coal
from Germany then this amount of coal in
Germany would provide the means Of breaking
the vicious cycle on which the fate Of produc-