FOOD FRONT.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 224, 20 September 1940, Page 7

FOOD FRONT.

RESULT OF RAIDS. Failure To Impair London's Supplies. British Official Wireless. (Reed. 12.30 p.m.) RUGBY, Sept. 19. The complete failure of the enemy raids to impair London's food supplies claimed by the Minister of Food, Lord Woolton, is well borne out in reports made last night by two American correspondents.

John McVane,' broadcasting from London on the national broadcasting system, said: "One of the National Broadcasting Company observers came through Covent Garden and found it crammed with every kind of fruit and vegetables you can imagine. There were boxes of Taenia nian apples, South African grapefruit, and lettuce by the truckload, and also many other periahaible commodities which must have been brought in during the night.

"This does not mean that this big town hue not already been badly battered in the past 24 hours. It is merely a reminder that London is a vast area which cannot be knocked out by a few bombers in a few days, or even weeke, of constant raiding."

H. R. Knickerbocker, in a message to New York, wrote: "This sort of destruction certainly is not going to win the war and to-day, after touring the city's principal markets, I can testify that the German radio's claim that the Luftwaffe is gradually starving London is simply imbecile.

"If there is any shortage at Covent Garden, London'* biggest and mopt famous market, Js it not visible tp the naked eye, It takes just as long now to thread one's way through its lanes and alleys piled mountain-high with every variety of food as ever it did in peacetime." REST CENTRES. PROVISION IN LONDON. British Official Wireless. (Reed. 11.30 a.m.) RUGBY, Sept. 19. The latest feature of London suburban life is the provision of rest centres by loeal authorities, where meals and temporary shelter are arranged for those whose homes have been destroyed or made untenable by 'enemy air action, The aim of the scheme is to provide accommodation for a few days wh,il«> arrangements can be made, for persons. who have lost their hemes either to travel tp those of friends or relatives, or be placed in billets or empty houses taken over by local authorities.

Travel vouchers are being provided for- those unable to pay the fare. In some cases it is likely that a return home may be possible within a short period when repairs are executed or imexploded bombs dealt with. Local authorities are also to arrange for protection of furniture and property left behind, and, if necessary, to remove and store it.

RAID SIDELIGHTS. ATTACKS ON LONDON. British Official Wireless. (Reed. 11.30 a.m.) RUGBY, Sept. 18. A cheque for £105 has been received froni the matron of the nuraing and domestic gtaflf of St. Bartholomew's Hqs* pjtal "as a thank-offering fox their safety and that pf the hospital" on a date named.

A Calcutta message states that Abdul Rahman giddiqu, who led the Muslim League delegation to the Palestine Con< ferenee ill 1037, and is Mayor of Calcutta, at today's meeting of the cor* poration expressed sympathy for the victims of air raids pn London,

He said that whatever the political differences between India and Britain, the hearts of citizens of the second city of the Empire went out to those suffering from the barbaric and indiscriminate German raids. The corporation appointed a committee representative of all sections of the population to assist 9. fund being run in conjunction with the Lord Mayor's fund.

RETURN TO IiONDON. LABOUR DEPARTMENT. British Official Wirelees." (Reed. 11.30 a.m.) RUGBY, Sept. 19. The Department of the Ministry of Labour, responsible for the developing of Government training centres for providing pemi-skjlled munition workers and supervising an increase in private training schemes, •■- which had been evacuated to the country, has been brought back to London. The decision, says the Minister of Labour, Mr. Ernest Bevin, emphasised not only the try's view of the increased importance of training, but also its resolve to earry on la London. _-___.