Russians Admit Economic Difficulties Due to Blockade

Grey River Argus, 12 October 1948, Page 5

Russians Admit Economic Difficulties Due to Blockade

LONDON, Oct. 10. The Russians to-day publicly acknowledged the economic difficulties of their zone in Germany and blamed them, in part, on the Allies’ coun-ter-blockade. . . This information is contained in a report published in the official Soviet newspaper Taegliche Runasehau, and quoted by the Associated correspondent. , , The report said there had been “exceptional difficulties” in production and that the production targets in several fields, had not been fulfilled during the third garter of the year. The lag in steel and metal production was blamed on tlie “lack of machinery which foimerly came from Western Germany. The American Military Government’s official German newspaper, Die Neue Zeitung, said the produclion figures had proved very disappointing to the Russians, especially those of the socialised industries. It added that it was especially painful for the German Communists and the Soviet that enterprises remaining in private hands came nearer fulfilling their production quotas than the State-owned industries. This was especially true of the Saxon textile industry. , t , Great quantities of coal, potatoes, coffee and other food have been seized in a search of motor lorries in the Soviet sector of Berlin, says the Rus-sian-controlled news agency. Seventyseven lorries were seized because of lack of proper 1 papers for their freight, and the agency alleged that (heir cargoes were intended for the “illegal” "supply of blockaded Western Berlin. The owners of the lorries were not identified, but they were, presumably, Germans.