NAZI WEAKNESS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20081, 30 October 1939, Page 10

NAZI WEAKNESS

ECONOMY IN WAR SUPPLIES CUT OFF FATS, METALS, FIBRES INCREASES PLANNED SYNTHETIC TEXTILES (Klee. Tel. Copyright—Uuiled Press Assn.) (British Oflieiat Wireless.) Reed. !) a.m. RUGBY, Out. 28. The Economist, surveying the present economic position obtaining in Germany, says:—“ln general, the first measures of Germany’s new war economy, though they have shown remarkable talent for comprehensive centralised organisation, have clearly revealed Germany's outstanding weakness. “There is a shortage of fats, metals, minerals and textile fibres for supplies of which Germany normally relies upon imports, mainly from enemy or other countries.

“Over one-third of the Reich's total fat supplies are ’ now quite inaccessible. The most severe restrictions have been imposed on the textile industry. In 1938, three-quarters of the total supply of textile raw materials came from abroad. Now much of this has been cut oil'.

“The outstanding problem which laces .the directors of the German economy arises from the fact that Germany is dependent upon imports for two-thirds of her total annual consumption of iron ore. This fact dominates the whole situation in heavy industry."

Imports of Iron

The statistics which the newspaper then gives reveal that Germany obtained 79 per cent of her imports of iron ore in 1938 from Sweden, Norway, Luxembourg and Spain, and 21 per cent from France. The position of German pig iron and steel production is no better. Furthermore, it is pointed out that the Saar pig iron and steel outputs, which represented 11.4 per cent and 9.8 per cent respectively of the total in 1938, have been lost, at least temporarily, owing to the fortunes of war.

“Germany planned to make an appreciable increase in the output of synthetic textile fibres. The output of rayon, which was 95,000 tons in 1938, is to bo 80,000 tons in 1939-40. The output of celwool. which was 150,000 tons in 1938. is to be doubled in 193940. Even if Ibis is done, there will be a shortage of over 50 per cent compared with the total supplies available last year. "There is a drive to grow more food. A 25 per cent increase in potato production is aimed at for next year. Hitherto Germany’s successes in agricultural self-sufficiency have depended largely on the very high consumption of fertilisers. It has now been decreed that the total consumption of fertilisers must be reduced to the level of 1936-37. Compared with 1938-39, this is roughly a decrease of 17 per cent. During the Great War the consumption of fertilisers decreased by roughly 50 per cent, with disastrous results.”