Evening star., 1947-02-14

l1lCCN1iA6 willy Soo SOAiRa4AS CACS0-
tives today to discuss the problem.
The Labor Party organ, the Daily
Herald, proclaimed in front page
headlines that a gas cut was likely
in few days.
Mr.. Attlee reported to Parliament
yesterday that the coal situation
was still critical despite the break
ing of the snow and ice blockade by
ships and trains carrying fuel to
London and other metropolitan
areas"
Low Stocks Cause Anxiety.
The Prime Minister said low coal
stocks at gas plants are giving cause
for anxiety" The Gas Council
shortly afterward announced that
all gas plants were being warned to
plan for the possibility of shutting
off service to all industrial and COM
mercial consumers except those
engaged in essential services or
continuous process operations.
Mr.. Atlee told the House of Com
mons that $4,000 tons of coal had
been saved as a result of the first
three days restrictions on electricity.
Since Monday factories in a 38-
county industrial area of England
and Wales have been shut down.
Householders in that area have been
forbidden to use any electric power
during five daylight hours in each
day. The latter ban was extended
yesterday to all Of England, Scotland
and Wales.
Authorities reported, however,
that compliance with the household
ban was still mot so good despite
threats of heavy penalties.
81 Ships Reach London.
Thirty y-seven coal ships carrying
more than $4,000 tons of coal beat
their way through icy channel gales
to London yesterday and the move
ment of snowbound coal trains in
Northern England and the Midlands
was speeded by the labor of thou
sands of railway workers, soldiers
and German prisoners working
around the clock.
One collier, identified as the 642-
ton AIRY, of. Panamanian registry,
was reported to have foundered and
sunk off the Irish coast while carry
ing coal from Wales to Fire. Six
teen of her II crew members were
reported missing.
At least one death was attributed
to the virtual wartime blackout of
street lights which went into effect
last night. Albert John Barnes, II,
was killed by taxi when he stepped
into blacked-out street near his
home in South London.
Addison Defends Regime.
Freezing weather continued to
grip most of Britain, although tenn
peratures rose a little in the British
Isles and most of western Europe.
Weather forecasters were unable to
predict any general relief from the
month long cold wave.
The Air Ministry'S Weather Bu-
reau predicted continuing bad
weather for the British Isles, made
more miserable by freezing drizzle.
Lowest temperature in the shivering
fuel short kingdom last night was Is
degrees.
Overland communication with II
snowbound villages in Staffordshire,
cut off from food and fuel for two
weeks, was restored today and emer-
gency supplies sent in by truck.
In Berlin, the temperature climbed
to a high of 10 degrees, but the
Weather Bureau said no sign of a
thaw was in sight. Ten more deaths
attributed to exposure were report
ed in the German capital today.
More than 100000 workers in the
American occupation zone Of Ger
many were thrown into idleness by
shutdowns of coal-short industrial
plants.
Local rains were forecast in France
as the temperatures rose, reaching
a high of "a degrees in the Paris
region. The threat of floods in Italy
was eased when the sun came out
after days of almost uninterrupted
rain.
Two American colliers-the Will
liam Pepper and the Theodore Park
er-reached Copenhagen with badly
needed coal, but could not be un-
loaded because of a longshoremen's s
strike.
Northern Russia was swept by Sc
we're winter storms, but in the south
the skies were sunny.