Evening star., 1947-09-28
Survey Shows Most of Europe
Will Be Hungry This Winter

lnS w HEkOI
Europe, favored by the weather this
year, is expecting to divert some of
few surpluses to the West. Yugo-
slavia and Hungary expect to have
some food to be sent to France and
Britain i'll the normal functioning
Of trade pacts. Romania has a good
crop, and while it will need a good
deal of 1t to recover from recent
severe shortages, it will have some
for trade.
Czches Need Potatoes.
Some Czecroslovak sugar will. as
usual, go to Austria and to the
western zone OF Germany. But
Czechoslovakia, usually an exporter
OF potatoes, expects some this year
from Germany aud possibly from
eastern neighbors.
The following are summaries cf
the lood situation In various Euro
pean countries.
Britain-All grain crops, accord
ing to National Farmers Union esti-
mates, are considerably under the
production of last year." when l.
882 900 tons of wheat and 1,755, ,OOO
tons Of barley were harvested in
England and Wales. The drought
seriously reduced hay and fodder
production, which resulted in such
cut in milk supplies that ration
Of two pints weekly per person could
not be maintained. Meat rations
have been reduced.
France-Estimated wheat weld
this year is 100000 tons, compared
with 6,750,000 tons last year; corn,
estimated 10000 tons compared
with 2ll 200 last year; oats. esti-
mated 2,770,000 tons, compared with
3,770,O0O last year: potatoes, esti-
mated l2,OO00OO tons. compared
with 100000 last year. A monthly
butter ration of four ounces has
not been distributed for two months
Ihefe was no prospect of an in
crease IN the seven and three
quarters-ounce bread ration daily
without aid from abroad. The coal
ration for homes has been fixed at
about 500 pounds for the winter.
1taly-Prof. Vittorio Ronchi, high
commissioner for food, estimated
the drought cut Italy's wheat crop
l 500 900 tons and that 2,700,OOO tons
will have to be supplied from abroad
if the daily ration of 235 grams is
to be maintained.
Germany-The overall German
harvests will be lighter than last
years. British officials estimated
that the grain harvest of the COM
blned British and American zones
will be about equal to last years
production of 100000 tons. But
potatoes, important item in the
German diet, will be scarce, and
drought caused serious damage to
sugar beets and pasturage.
The United States has been send
ing food at the rate of 100000 tons
a month into the two zones, and
military government officials were
hopeful the shipments would con-
tlnue at that volume the rest of
the year to maintain the six weeks
food supply now on hand. Nine per
cent of the coal mined the second
quarter of the year has been allo-
Gated to winter heating, a small
fraction of the amount needed.
Austria-Drought caused down.
NJ hop
by as much as so per cent. The DO
tato crop was expected to be slightly
better, increasing from 1882 1928
tons last year to an estimated l.
5000 tons this year. Austria needs
100000 tons of coal month. while
present production is estimated at
10000 tons. Housing remains
critically short. In all Of 1895. a
normal year, 1923 cases of tu-
berculosis were reported in Austria.
The figure for only the first six
months of 1947 is 33,564.
BELGIUM-Drought has cut grain
production sharply. The wheat
harvest this year is estimated at
$4,000 tons, compared with 5000
tons last year. Rye is down to an
estimated $4,000 tons, compared
with 100000 tons last year. Rye is
down to an estimated $4,000 tons.
compared with 221 900 tons. Milk is
available only to children. 1t has
been necessary to slaughter COWS. so
there is a supply of meat. Belgium
has some vegetables, fruit and
chicory for export.
HOLLAND-A cold spring and the
summer drought is estimated to have
cost Holland Is per cent of its grain
crop, a loss of about 35O,OOO tons.
Milk production will be about 100000
tons less than last year. The bread
ration is being reduced from II to 10
ounces daily, while the cheese ration
will have to be halved. Cattle are
being slaughtered for lack of fodder.
SWEDEN-Offlcial estimates are
that the production of bread grains
Is one-half normal, while fodder
production has been cut one third.
Barley and oats are being mixed
with wheat to make -four, and the
bread ration of lat grams daily,
ranking as probably the lowest in
Europe, may be reduced. Some fod-
der grain will be used for human
consumption. Sweden has a surplus
of fish, but lack of refrigeration
limits the amount which may be
exported. Sweden has no coal, so
will ration heating next winter.
NORWAY-Crops are short, sup
plies of sugar and milk are limited,
but no extreme hardships are ex-
pected. Housing Is at a premium.
DENMARK-The harvest of grain
for human consumption was 2O0,-
900 tons, half the normal. Denmark
expects to be able to export 10000
tons of butter compared with 10000