Evening star., 1947-03-30

OF mllltary value as tney reGreateQ.
carried to market over. network
of natural waterways, but the small
number of military tugs and barges
being used cannot cope with the
heavy demand for boats.
Railway service in Burma today
extends only to Mandalay, Prone
and Moulmein from Rangoon. The
pinpoint accuracy Of allied bombing
on railway bridges knocked out most
OF them. Steel shortages have de-
layed permanent repairs.
Burma's comeback in rice produce
tion also has been hampered by the
lack of pure seed Poor rainfall in
Upper Burma, where most of the
rice produced Is for local consump-
ton, has caused serious crop fall
ures which must be met by crops
grown in Lower Burma.
A government official said 5urma
expects to get profit of between
s2S, S,ooo, 900 and 100000 on its ex-
ported rice this year but adds that Of
this amount $6,00o,0O0 will be paid
as subsidies to growers and $4,000, 900
In loans to cultivators- The re.
mainder will be used for rehabilita.
ton.
Burma's cattle herds have been
seriously depleted and little timber is
expected to be exported from the
country's source of the worlds finest
teak, because of heavy demands for
wood needed in reconstruction. The
time needed for preparing teak for
said to range from five to
as long as 20 years, will be another
factor in the slow recovery of the
industry. Burma formerly realized
about SIC, 100000 from exported teak.
Oil Wells Sabotaged.
Most of Burma's estimated 4,400
oil wells, which were producing
nearly 3O0,000,00O gallons of crude
oil annually until they were delib-
erately sabotaged along with storage
tanks, pumping stations and refiner-
les to prevent them from falling in
tact into Japanese hands in 1912,
are standing idle. Oil companies are
said to be arguing with the British
government on war damages and OBJ
servers contend it would not pay the
Burmese government to put the
fields back in operation.
Symbolic of the havoc caused the
length and breadth of the country
during three and one-half years Of
fighting, Rangoon has seen little
reconstruction of a permanent ma
ture.
Shells of buildings, skeletons Of
industrial plants and warehouses,
piles of twisted steel and rubble
and blocks of f1attened areas are
grim evidence that the city is years
away from normal.
A heavy influx of persons from
country districts has swelled the
population to beyond its peacetime
total of 100000. Threats of attacks
by Dacoits EARNED bandits) and
Communist propaganda promising
food and shelter are said to be
bringing them into the city.
Utilities Crippled.
The city is completely without
street lighting at night. Electricity
has been restored to some sections
on a priority basis but only limited
number of outlets can be used and
only low watt bulbs are permitted.
Some homes get power through mill
tary plants.
Telephones are confined mainly to
military and Government services.
The city depends for transportation
on hundreds of trucks of all descrip-
tion converted into buses.
Filtered water is scarce and water
supplies must be curtailed at cer-
tain periods of the day because of
inadequate pumping arrangements.
Plumbing fixtures are difficult to get
even at high prices.
Wooden shutters have replaced
windows because glass is almost i'm
possible to get. Rangoon's main
hotel, the Strand, has the only work.
able elevator. Some buildings have
been repaired only on the floors that
are usable
Thousands of families live in
buildings without roofs, in the
shells of what once were residential
quarters and in bamboo huts
wherever there is room to erect
them. Without sanitary and water
facilities, the places are breeding
grounds for disease.
distributed by the Associated Press)