Western Europe Suffers

Chronicle (Levin), 23 December 1946, Page 5

Western Europe Suffers

Press Assn

SUPPLIES AND FUEL SHORT

By Telegrciph

Copyright

licffivcd .Sundav, 7.50 p.m. LOXDOX, Dec. 22. Fngland and Western Europe arc in Ihe grip oi' the most intuise cold this winter. The Vistula is 1'rozon over and the temperature at Prague was 28 degrees holme iVeezing point. The Rhine toi' the tirst tinie sinee 1929 is ieehound at three points in the Krench oeeupational zone. The Uoaling bridge at Dusseldori', whieh was l)iiilt by the Allies and is known as the "l'reedom" bridge, has eolla])sed, reports the eoiil rolled ierman Xews Serviee. Part oi' the bridge tioated down bolween ieetlocs on the Ehine Jiloeking the l-iver for a hundred yards. The llainburg radio says floa#ti n i>- iee eansed Ihe xuxpension oi' all navigation on ihe Rhine between Jionn and Wesel in the British zone. The Rhine in the French zone is ieebound, threatening a coiuplete holil-up oi tra'ffie for Weeks. j The Exeliange Telegraph's eorres])on(lent in Paris says the eaiials around Paris are frozen and Ihe snpply situation is becoming eritieal. Renler says tliiekening fog and frost ihroiighout Hngland disloealed railway timetaliles. Driving oii ihe iee-eoated roads is nighlinarish. Fp to 20 degreos of frost were reeorded in parts of Soiiiherii Mngland. Several oi' the cliiines of l»ig Ben missed when striking 9 ]).ni. The ehinies o*n oue oeeasion were aceonipanied by a peeuliar grating noise caused by pa rt ieles of iee llying off the meehaiiisin and being erushed in the coiis of Ihe chiming gear. Soiit liern Bngland vesterday liad a 5 per eent cut in electricity Jasiing two and a halC hours. It wa> ti c largest eiit this winter. The pi-oinised wariner airs failed to , rrive in the .Midlands or southei'ii eounties and the shortest day was for Loiidon also the coldest ■for the winter with temperatures ranging from 10 to 24 degrees in the different home eounties. Fog eaine with the cold inereasing diftieiilt ies in transport on the icy snrfaees. All factories in the Hanover rogioii will elose today till January 1 beeause the weather has slowed eoal deliveries until stocks in the power stations are at danger level. says Reuter's Ilerf'ord eorres]iondent . I)r. Adeiiaeiir. ehairman of the f'hristian Deinocratie Party in the British zone in (ierinany has telegrajihed to the British Commander, Air .Marshal Sir Sholto Douglas, appcaling for iiiirnediate eoal alloeat ions to hos])itals. homes for aged. seliools and orphanagps whieh are "sufl'ering terriblv in 1 he }iresent cold spellP