Evening star., 1947-09-28
ey the Assoeioted Press

LONDON, Sept 26-The govern
ments and peoples of most of Europe
look forward to a winter which will
bring hunger and privation to
millions, an Associated Press survey
indicated today.
AS the drousht-stricken continent
gathers in the last of its harvests-
officially estimated to be subnormal
In most caseS-Statements from
many quaters stress the need for help
from abroad. America is on almost
everyone's tongue. 1t is emphasized
that the need Is likely to increase
when snow begins to fall.
The survey indicated that short
ages are expected to be most acute
in the 16 Western states banded to-
gether in the Marshall Plan for
economic recovery.
Some of these countries reported
small surpluses of some kinds OF
food which might help their neigh
borS thorugh the cold months ahead,
but In general they appeared to be
the least able to help each other.
Suffering to Rival Wartime.
| Agricultural ministries in many
countries were saying that prospects
were either just fair" or positively
diSCouraging, and in some regions
there were predictions that millions
will be fed as poorly next winter as
they were in the most unsettled
years of the war.
| In midSeptember, with the
gardens still yielding produce,
several countries were announcing
substantial reductions in food ra-
tlons. Many careful observers SAID
such cuts Were merely a beginning.
| Food is only part of the dreary
prospect. Millions will be cold be-
cause OF the fuel shortage.
In many parts of Germany there
will be no fuel for homes except
sucn wood as househodders are able
| to gather from forests and trash
heaps.
Sweden Limits Fuel.
In Sweden governmental agencies
were able to make a precise calcu-
lation-living rooms may be heated
to 30 degrees Fahrenheit if the VIM
ter is mild SO degrees if it is severe.
In Czechoslovakia, a householder
will be permitted to heat two rooms,
and other countries were prescribing
similar restrictions.
PrivationS due to cold and hunger
are linked with growing concern
over the continents health, and
country after country reported an
increase in disease associated with
malnutrition and bad housing.
.TypuS, health authorities said, is
sure to be a middle European prob
lem next winter, infantle paralysis
is alarming but apparently is being
brought under control. But that
could not be said of tuberculosis,
which in Austria is being called the
Vienna disease" because of its
prevalence in the nations capital.
Food 4Chief Concern.
Most of all, the nations are con-
cerned about food Several which
have been comparatively well Off
CzechoSlovakia, Holland, Spain and
Britain-are reducing the rations
allowed to their populations. In
virtually every country the level of
nutrition is sinking.
A few countries OF Eastern Europe
reported they are actually a little
better off than they were year ago.
The gloomiest reports came from
Germany.
1T will require an heroic effort"
said an American official, Ito avoid
worse winter in Germany than
that of last year."
The help-each- -other formula of
the Marshall Plan is being applied
to the spreading of Europe's food
supply, as widely and thinly as
possible.
Fish Surplus May Help.
Coastal lands may have a surplus
OF fish-Norway a fairly large one.
Impoverished Greece is thinking
about exporting some olive oil,
raisins and citrus fruits, not because
they couldn't be used at home but
to get the vital cash to buy more
grain and fats.
France will be able to sell some
wines and liquors, Italy conceivably
could trade some rice for wheat, and
Portugal may have some fruits and
fisheries products which could be
spared at home.
Denmark will have some bacon
and eggs to spare, but a much
smaller quantity than last year
unless fodder for animals is supplied
from some quarter abroad.
Russia is supplying some grain to
Poland, Czechoslovakia and other
Eastern lands and is Offering some.
IN exchange for other food products,
to Denmark and Norway.
Moscow Reports Big Harvest,
Moscow dispatches give glowing
accounts of the Soviet Unions har-
vests. Reports from the chief grain
growing areas OF Russia say the Yield
Is the best in years. This has raised
Russian hopes that the end of bread
ratlonlng may be near. Some of the
Eastern European countries hope to
benefit from Russia plenty, but the
hungry lands of the West can not
be sure of help from that source,
Set-help deals fall far short of
feeding the continent, and almost
all lands are looking abroad. chiefly
to the United States and other
Western Hemisphere countries, for
the food necessary to bridge the gap.
Crop surveys indicated that West
ern Germany needs American help
to live. From France it was re-
ported that large scale aid from
abroad" is necessary to obtain ra-
tionS.
Wheat Crop Poor in Italy.
Italy, although pleased by a pretty
good rice crop, regarded its wheat
harvest with dismay. In wheat sup
plies, a dispatch from Rome said.
there is "a 2,700, 900 ton hole to fill
from abroad"
Britain, its domestic crop light
because of bad winter and a sum-
mer drought, apparently will fall
considerably short of the normal
situation of being about 10 per cent