Evening star., 1948-08-14
Russians Admit
Food Shortages
In East Germany
Western Press Hints
Requisitionine for
Berlin Is Cause
BY the Assoeioted Press

BERLIN, Aug. 14.-The Rus
sian-controlled press admitted
today for the first time that
serious food shortages exist in
the Soviet-occupied zone of Ger
many.
Commenting on a promise from
Moscow to deliver 10000 tons of fat
to Eastern Germany, Neues Deut-
schland, official newspaper Of the
Soviet-sponsored Socialist Unity
Party, said the poor harvest has
had severe effects in recent weeks"
The paper said that even in normal
harvest years the late summer
months were critical" as regards
the food supply.
We'll informed experts have
recognized there would be a serious
shortage of fat because of the be-
low average 1948 harvest" the paper
declared.
Frequent Reports Of Shortages.
The promised fat from the Rus
slams. it continued would close the
gap for certain period"
The Soviet-licensed news agency
Adm said last night the promise
from Moscow came in answer to q
request by the Soviet military ad-
ministration ito ensure the supply
of foodStuffs" in Eastern Germany.
There have been frequent reports
lately of food shortages in the So
Wet zone. The severity of the crisis
became apparent last week when
the Communist press reported
strong punitive measures against
food hoarders in the Russian zone.
The Western licensed German
press in Berlin speculated that the
food shortages have been caused
Il by Soviet requisitioning of food
from its zone to meet the announced
plan to feed all Berlin, including
the blockaded Western sectors.
Dispatches in Western papers,
which the Russians have not denied,
have reported hunger demonstra-
tions recently In many cities of the
Soviet zone.
U. S. Zone Has Own Troubles.
The American zone has been hav-
ing its own food troubles, although
of different nature.
Some 100000 Germans took part
Thursday in mass demonstrations
in the United States zone against
high food prices and policies of the
American military government.
Berliners still awaited news Of
Western power negotiations In Mos
COW over the German situation.
Secrecy has surrounded the talks.
Gen. Sir Brian Robertson, British
military commander in Germany,
who arrived in London last night in
connection with the Moscow con-
ferences is expected to talk with
Allied leaders.
In Moscow, United States Am
bassador Walter Bedell Smith was
reported resting at his residence
with troublesome cold.
Air Lift Is Resumed.
The British American air lift sup
plying food to the blockaded sectors
Of Berlin returned to a near normal
schedule today as the weather i'm
proved. Operations were halted last
night because of heavy rains and
bad visibility.
United States military police said
that though we needed the Rus
slams all night" they still had no
promise of release of two Americans
who have been detained since Au-
gust S for crossing into the Soviet
occupation zone.
A report from Frankfurt Thurs
day said the Russians had stated
they would release the men in Ber-
lin. They are 1t. Sherman 8.
Turner of Council Bluffs, Iowa, mil
itary governor of Bad Kissingen,
and Roland Mason Myers of Brook
lyn, N. Y, of the military govern
ment at Nuremberg.
In their sector of Berlin the Rus
slams suspended a German bor-
ough mayor accused of "obstructing"
the unloading of bread grains for
the city. Anti-Communist sources
claimed the Russians are making
him a scapegoat to excuse the fail
ure of the announced project to feed
the entire city.
Sovfetization Plan Reported.
The Christian Democratic news
paper Der Tag published what it
called the Communist program for
complete Sovietization Of the Rus
sion occupied zone"
This program was outlined In q
speech attributed to Bernhard
Bechler, Moscow-trained interior
minister of land In Brandenburg.
Bechler, former major on the Ger
man general staff, turned Commu-
mist after his capture by the Rus
slams In 1943 and joined Moscow's
wartime Free Germany Committee.
According to Der Tag, the Com
munist-controlled Socialist Unity
Party (SED), already welding Writ
al dictatorial powers In the Russian
zone, now aims at economic DICTATOR
(See GERMAN, Page A-2)