The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1947-11-10

here are SO high that many men
who might be inclined to expand
their factories are reluctant to do
so, for if they make more money
they have only to give it to the
government.
"And furthermore, expansion
of plant means expansion of all
the problems of raw material
shortages, labor shortages, alb
senteism and so on"
The food situation has become
more acute than anticipated
and with that, the export prob
lem as we'll - as a result of a
very warm summer with little
rain, an abnormal condition this
year all over Europe. Its effect
in Denmark has, been to reduce
the anticipated size of grain
crops, to cut down SHUTTER pro-
duction, and to increase the
slaughter of milk-producing cat
tie for lack of sufficient forage.
This is csrious from the export
standpoint, because Danish bu-
ter is major export item.
Slaughter of cattle would ap-
pear to offer the Danes another
product to export, but since all
other European countries are in
a similar situation as result
of this dry. hot summer, the
meat cannot be exported. For
this reason, it is expected that
meat rationing in Denmark will
be eliminated very soon, SO that
the meat can be used up by do
mestic consumers.
The fuel situation is likewise
acute, although some coal ship
ments are coming in from Am
erica. But many Danish homes
this year, as last, will be heated
with peat, which is both expen-
sive and a poor fuel-too much
volume" for the amount of
heat prouced. ..'
In spite of her economic diff
ficulties, her fears of war, and
the complexity of her post war
life cRationing," they say. will
bewith us at least another two
years,") Denmark lives more
comfortably, l think, than we do
in America. This is not new, it
was the same 20 years ago.
The pace is much slower than
in the States, and there is al
ways time for peasant CONVEX
sation with a friend, or a stop
for coffee or beer malt way thru
the morning or afternoon at a
sidewalk cafe. There is a feeling
that "the pause that refreshes"
makes for better work and bet
ter play.
Home life. in spite of severe
housing shortages, is very pleas
ant indeed. and very much as
in America, although when you
: entertain for dinner at home,
qour guests, men and women
alike. will probably arrive on
bicycles, parking space for
which you have thoughtfully
provided near your door or
apartment. -
The bicycle traffic here is en-
ormous-so large in fact that
alongside the main highway,
smaller highways, are provided
for bicycle traffic. There is a
parking problem" partially
solved by bicycle parking lots,
which often are so filled up
with bikes that they can't take
any more.
But possibly the best illustra-
ton of the Danish spirit is to be
found in d small, but rather typ
ical experience.
A letter from home had adj
vised that friends had just be-
come the parents of baby boy,
so a cablegram was obviously
call ed for. At the post-tele-
graph cable office near the home
where ] was staying, | asked
the clerk to send the message
the quickest and the cheapest
way. He looked up the rates,
stating that tho night letter
rate was about 10 kroner, the
fast day rate about % kroner.
I sent it as q night letter and de
parted, having written in my
own address on the bottom OF
the blank, for reference if re-
quired.
When l returned home that
night, l found letter from the
post office. 1t was typed in ex-
cellent English and enclosed 8
kroner. In brief, it explained
that the clerk had done bit
of figuring after | left and dis
covered that if the message