GERMANS SINK TO LOWEST LEVEL KNOWN IN 100 YEARS

Chronicle (Levin), 1 March 1947, Page 7

GERMANS SINK TO LOWEST LEVEL KNOWN IN 100 YEARS

Housing Worst in History of Modern Civilisation

Received Friday 7.30 p.m. W ASIilN GTON, Feb. 27. Mr. Herbert Hoover, reporting to President Truman on tlie recent food survey of Germany, recommended tliat food eosting 384,000,000 dollars be sent to Germany in the next six months and a 567,000,000 dollar food programme be carried out in the fiseal year beginning on July 1. The cost of both projects would be borne equally by the United States and Britain, but the expenditure should be a first charge on German economy, repayable from the German net exports before reparations or any other payments were made'. Mr. Hoover said that German living eonditions had sunk to the lowest ievel known in 100 years of Western history and housing was the worst that modern civilisation had even seen.

Mr. Hoover reported that one reason for the food shortage in the American and British Zones was that the areas froni whicli the zones formerly received about 25 per cent. of their food were now lield hy Russia and Poland. The British and American armies were fed entirely from home, but "the large Russiaii armv is fed upon their zone. " Moreover, Germans expelled from the Russian and Polish Zones had swelled the British and American Zones population from 34,000,000 to about 41,000,000. American taxpayers might be sliocked at liaving to pay large sums to feed a conquered people, but if Western civilisation was to survive in Europe if

must also suryive in Germany, wliieh must be built into the cooperative membership of that civilisation.. Mr. Hoover, also recommended, first, the landing in Germany of 75 Liberty ships for carrying food and raw matcrials and" lending h'er fislung noats: secondlv, the removal of rcstrictions on German export trade. Mr.. Hoover added that the restora toin of' trade was inevitable and delay in removing barriers simply .added to the burden of the British and American taxpayers. No one could say that Germany in hcr utterly sliat tered state was at present an economic menaee to the world.