PROOF OF PLUNDERING

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 3, Issue 260, 20 January 1941, Page 6

PROOF OF PLUNDERING

EVIDENCE BY GERMAN RADIO

(By "Knob-Turner")

"If there is any starving to be done in Europ<', the Germans will starve last," said an American commentator on August . 1 lie idea be-

hind this view was that the Germans would plunder Europe to fill their own depicted larders. Etl'orts to convince the world that food troubles in Europe were due entirely to the British blockade fell down in the lace of clear evidence from Nazi sources of a sudden increase of foodstuffs,, and Dr Goebbels then began to insist that there

was no food shortage in Europe. Every little while, however, the radio .supplies contradictions of the doctor's assurances, indicating that the maldistribution of i'ood is Germanys' fault. By contrasting the advice of the Nazi dietary commissars with some of their recent declarations, people in countries occupied by Hitler's looters can learn where their food has gone. Last whiter the inhabitants of the Reicli proper were told: *'Do not threw your frozen potatoes away. They can be used if treated properly. Soak them in coldwater for 21 hours. Bring to the boil in this water and then simmer in fresh water till they are ready. If a sweet taste still remains, they can be used for puddings. The important thing ii —do not throw them awaj r ." (Konigsberger Allgcmeine Zeitung, January 31, 1910). "Good bread needs no addition. It is only the fault of the bread if people need butter, lard or margarine." (Deutsche Allgemcinc Zeitung, March 8, 1940). According to the Reich Carpenter and Trade Journal (April 4) "white quality grinding dust" is a suitable ingredient for Hie bread, in question and "should be sold to bakeries and maca ron i-m ak c rs." But to-day the pure Aryans in Nazi Germany hear no more of make shift ingredients and orsatz delicacies. Instead Dr Goebbels' loudspeakers trumpet to them that "coffee' will again be served on German breakfast tables," that "more meat is jwailable," or that ' reserves of pigs and poultry have substantially increased." An olficial announcement on October 3 naively explained: "All these improvements have been effected without reducing stocks. Tn many respects stocks have been enlarged." How have they been enlarged? Listen to the Nazi voices: The "Nouvelli&te" of Lyons, a notoriously pro-Nazi paper recently said: "No one need be distressed- by rationing, because 200 years ago no one ate sugar, potatoes or coffee." Then the German controlled wireless carried on the tale: ! "Coffee will not be composed of pure coffee, but of one-third coffee and two-thirds orsatz. Grapc-ipips arc useful in this connection." (Sep tembcr 6, 1910). "Butter and margarine can be replaced with the skimmings off meat soup." (October 7, 1910) . In Holland, Count Groto, dictator of Dutch Agriculture, preaclied: "The Dutch people must adjust its dietary habits to existing cir-

cumstances." The "circumstances" judging by German hints to Dutch housewives, arc hardly calculated to make Dutch mouths water. "An egg lor break!ast is a \cij popular dish, but not a vital necessity." (German broadcast in Dutch, September (5, 1910). "Here is a delicious recipc for horsemeat hash. 400 grammes of fillet of horsemeat, 100 grammes of fat, 500 grammes onions, Jour gills water, 250 grammes rice, half a gravy tablet or one tablespoonful of burnt sugar, plus two beef cubes: a dash of vinegar, half-spoon ful of flour, charter bayleaf, pepper, salt; season with cloves,"' (German broadcast to Holland, October 17, 11)40). The cat slipped out of the bag in a broadcast to Denmark (August •.>).' "If the; population live chiefly on vegetables instead of on animal pro- 1 ducts, the Northern Countries will be able not only to supply themselves but also to contribute to the maintenance of tht, German people A suggestion for a vegetable diet for the Danes was put through Goeb heis' megaphone a little Avhile ago-: "Grass, which used to be dried lor iiso MS concentrated cattle fodder, is now to be used for baking. The bread tastes good, and the green colour should not put people oft buying iL" Peoples in countries now under .the Nazi jack-boot know how German*- improved her dietary.