Peanuts And Politics Not Mixing Too Well

Chronicle (Levin), 21 December 1949, Page 5

Peanuts And Politics Not Mixing Too Well

Received Tuesday, 7 p.m. LONDON, Dec. 20. There were many interjections and appeals for order when the Food Minister, Mr. Strachey, addressed British employees at the Government's groundnut scheme yesterdaj', says the Daily Telegraph's correspondent at Urambo, Tanganyika. Mr.- Strachey spoke to a big auiiience in a forest elearing. He told the men: "Amid widespread criti1 cism of the scheme botlv in East Africa and Britain, you have been disturbed and you will go on being* disturbed. Between now and the General Election I the schefne will continue to be a matter ' of extreme controversy. When the Eleetions are over, I hope and trust tlie scheme will be left alone politically. " Mr. Strachey said he was more than ' satisJied with what he had seen at ■ Urambo. He thought it ' ' t damnad fine show." ■ At one point of the speech a man strode towards ihe Minister ehouting that the married men wanted their wives with them even if they had to sleep in a tent. Others shouted that their pay had been put back until four days after Christmas. Mr. Strachey is due in London today t'o report to Mr. Attlee on the visit. When Mr. Strachey arrived at. Urambo yesterday he was told by East African Railways officials that unless rain fell between now and Christmas . Day the Urambo unit of the Food Ministrv's groundnut scheme would come to a dead stop and the several millions of pounds sunk in the scheme would be jeopardised, says t>he Daily Mail's correspondent at Urambo. The railways officials said that without rain all' the rail services would be suspended except for famine relief. This means that Urambo will be cut off from supplies of petrol and oil»at the most critical time in its existence. There is only a week's supply of fuel in reserve.