Evening star., 1948-07-11
Burma Is Recovering
AT Surprising Rate
Under Big Handicaps
BY the Associated Press

RANGOON, Burmd.-Burma is
picking up the pieces left by two
conquering armies.
She has made surprising headway
under great handicaps. Materials
were short or nonexistent. Many OF
them still are. Political turmoil has
been almost constant during the
reconstruction task.
Now peoples government is
fighting self-styled Communist in
surgents. 1t says it has the upper
hand, and that non-Communist
groups branded as subversive have
been broken.
Close foreign observers say Burma
seems destined to go far among the
nations of the East, and the sooner
she can control her Communist
elements the faster she will pro-
greSS
At wars end, while Burma still
was within the British Empire, top
priority went to programs OF stimu-
lating food production and making
her cities habitable again. The
payof is starting now. The world
has a stake in Burmas rice crop.
1t means famine or plenty to her
rice-eating eastern neighbors. Rice
entering trade channels releases
other grains for the hungry peoples
of the west.
statistical Reports Offered.
Official and semiofficial statlstl-
cal reports tell this story:
Prewar, British-ruled Burma pro-
duced 40 per cent of the world S
rice exports-3,0O0,O00 to 3,500,O00
tons a year. 1t was her big cash
crop, and mainstay of her economy.
When war stopped all of Burma's
rice exports, the 100000 acres
under rice cultivation shrank to
about 100000. Millions of untitled
acres reverted to jungle. Reclaim
ing them is a back-breaking job.
Last year 100000 acres were pro-
ducing rice. Exports started again,
This year Burma intends to export
at least 100000 tons, and rice grow
ers hope to make 1t much more.
Her exports in the first half OF
this year are estimated officially to
represent 81 per cent OF all the re-
duced volume of rice exports in the
world.
Reconstruction Pushed.
In Rangoon a real job has been
done in reconstruction. The war
left much of this city in ruins.
Refugees returning after the shoot
ing stopped found even such neces-
sites as pan or bucket were
luxuries worth fantastic prices.
Today the ruined water and elec-
trio supplies have been restored.
Bomb cratered streets have been
smoothed. The telephone system
is as good as ever. Most OF the
rubble of bombed buildings has been
carted away and habitable ones
patched up. Rail transport is in
operation again-after fashion.
Much of the work was done before
Burma attained independence jan
uary 4. Much stiE must be done.
Mines and oil fields which were
blasted out of usefulness by retreat
ing armies are being restored slowly.
Among them is the Bawdwin lead
mine, biggest in the world.
Teak forests, which supplied 70
to rs per cent of all teakwood en-
tering world trade, were casualties,
difficult to restore. The industry
has been nationalized. Biggest
handicap is a lack of trained ele-
plants to do the heavy work.
Resources Brought Back.
Rich silver, jade, ruby, sapphire
tin, wolfram and oil reSources-all
Of them knocked out by the war
are being brought back to produc-
ton. The planning department says
it is a slow task. Availability OF
needed machinery will determine
how long it takes to get back to nor
NAL.
Americans, Britons and Others
! watching Burma's comeback say
she cannot insists just ques-
ton of how long it will take. Bur-
mas resources are great; unlike
most Asian countries, she does not
suffer from overpopulation: hei
people have a sense Of humor that
helps them over the rough spots
They can and do work hard.
Biggest worries now are the gun
toting insurgents and other politi-
cal unrest. the observers say. They
are reluctant to make predictions
about that. They can't see faI
enough ahead.
Mrs. Murphy to Lecture
Mrs. Frederick v. Murphy will