BRITAIN SHORT OF WHEAT

Chronicle (Levin), 4 July 1946, Page 5

BRITAIN SHORT OF WHEAT

Press Assn-

MINISTER GiVES REASONS FOR BREAD RATIONING IN COMMONS DEBATE

By Telegraph

■Copyright

Received Thursday, 11.20 a.m. LONDON, July 3. Britain had no stocks of wheat in the sense that there was sorae great reserve lying idle, said the Minister of Food (Mr. John Straehey) in opening the food debate in the House of Commons. There are only stocks amounting to half a million tons going through the "pipeline." In short the answer to the question as to why the Government had decided to ration bread was because Britain was short of wheat.

Mr. Straehey went on to say that / ig wheat stocks, as far as was yjpredictable, would end in Aiigust with 140,000 tons in shlps, oarges and warehouses, 8000 tons in transit to the mills and 280,000 tons actually in the mills. About 300,000 tons of flour was passing from the mills to the shops. "One hundred thousand tons of wheat or flour represents one week's supply for this country," the Minister declared. At the end of August there would be an eight weeks' supply of wheat and flour in the country, but the people wero deluding themselves if they thought the country's bread supplies could be continued for eight weeks after the end of August without new supplies. A breakdown would occur long before then. If bread was not rationed, a aelay in the

•arrival of wheat in the next three ; months .might be disastrous. The ; postponement of rationing would, be , a gamble on America laoour relai tions, on the course of events in ■ Congress and on tiie success oi the Bntish harvest, which was already three weeks late. I Britain had an inescapable inter- | national obligation to send food ' abroad, said Mr. Straehey, but was approaching the end of her resources. This had influenced the decision to ration breaa, but it was noi the main factor. Reports that the Germans were well fed were travellers' tales. In addition to Britain's utmost efforts, the United States must supply at 1 least 120,000 tons of wheat to the British zone in the next three months if the 1000 calory ration was to be maintained.