EXPERTS' DOUBTS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20096, 16 November 1939, Page 5

EXPERTS' DOUBTS

ROSY PICTURE j SUPPLY FOR GERMANS RESOURCES OF RUSSIA LACK IN PRODUCTION MATERIALS OF WAR (I'.loc. Tel. Copyright—United Press Assn.) <Recd. Nov. IG, 9 a.m.) NEW YORK, Nov. 15. The Berlin correspondent of the New York Times says that the German press is still presenting a rosy picture of Russian supplies rolling into Germany, but military publications and military commentators are growing sceptical.

They point out that the Russian resources need development and the production is mostly under Russia’s own requirements.

“Germany can count only on food, iron, manganese and timber,” continues the correspondent “Hopes regarding oil are melting, while, although she has vast undeveloped resources of lead, copper, zinc, nickel and tin, tile Soviet is importing these basic war materials herself. Reasons Examined “Colonel von Niedermayer told the Cologne Geographic Society that Germany’s inability to obtain supplies was due to:—

“(1) Soviet industrialisation, which increased the consumption of raw materials faster than production. He added that the centralised dictatorial direction was suppressing personal interest, thus affecting quality.

“(2) The vastness of the territory in which the resources are scattered, plus the fact that while production had increased by 250 per cent, the rail facilities had increased by only 48 per cent. The railways virtually had not been repaired since the days of the Czars. Only 30 per cent, of the railways are double tracked.

“(3) Lack of foreign experts and technicians.

“Colonel Niedermayer anticipates that even the supplies of food and fodder will not be large enough, because while agriculture is made entirely dependent on tractors they often lack petrol to operate.”