Evening star., 1947-05-19
Most Of Food Needed
To Meet Reich Crisis
Is Ordered by U. 5.
BY IN. As.eeio..d Press

Present plans contemplate little
If any further Government buying
of grain for the British American
zones of Germany this year.
A War Department official con-
nected with relief operations for the
occupation zones told reporter
today that much Of the foodstufis
needed to carry along the ritioning
program until the German crops
come in already have been bought.
The department announced last
eek-during reports Of unrest In
Germany-that 1t expects 400, 900
tons of food to be delivered to the
zones during May, a similar amount
in June and even more In July. It
also is likely, the official said, that
there will be some further shipments
In August to make certain supplies
will be on hand when the German
spring wheat crop is ready for har-
vest that month. The severe Europ-
can winter caused heavy losses in
the winter grain crop, seeded last
fall.
Crisis Laid to Transportation.
Officials of the Army's Civil Affairs
Division say the food crisis that
arose in the occupied zones during
recent weeks resulted primarily
from transportation difficulties in
Germany and not from failure to
procure tonnages In the United
States. While most of the grain is
produced in the United States, Brit
ain shares the cost.
Citing an example OF the difficult
ties of distributing commodities over
the war-damaged facilities of Ger
many, one official said that q train
load of coal routed over a compare
lively short distance finally arrived
at its destination after II locomo-
tiVes had been used. All but one
broke down.
A secondary problem, but one to
be reckoned with, officials say, is
the matter of inducing the Germans
to eat corn products. Like most
Europeans, corn to them is fodder
for livestock but not food for hu-
mans.
Nutrition teams are at work SELL
ing the Germans on the idea that
corn is better than not eating at all.
There Is more corn than wheat
available for export from the United
States.
NO Tonnages Promised.
War Department officials said
there never has been any promise
to Germany or to occupation author
tiles as to specific tonnage deliveries.
The department asked President
Truman to invite former President
Hover to make a survey OF the sit
uation and now uses Hoover's re-
port as basis for its food delivery
totals.
The requirements suggested by
Mr.. Hoover have been met, officials
said, except for $4,000 tons (about
one weeks supply. They said this
shortage, caused by especially acute
~ ~S<AA'f~SA o0SAJAA QlIlCulLleS, VIII be
corrected during this month and
June. Food shipments during the
recent months have averaged about
5o0, 600 tons a month.
Relief experts estimate that ,tol
maintain the 1850 calory minimum
ration for the two zones requires an
average OF about 450, 600 tons of inn
ports month, There are some 42-l
100000 persons In the two zones but
not all require the ration because
some live in rural areas where they
are more or less self-sustainine
While virtually all supplies for
the German shipments already have
been bought, the Government plans
70 resume purchase of grain for
other shortage areas when the new
american crop begins moving to
market next month. These pur-
'hases were all but stopped in Feb
ruary due to rising prices, and a
new market plan is yet to be worked
OUt