DENMARK'S PROBLEMS

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 142, 16 May 1940, Page 4

DENMARK'S PROBLEMS

ADDRESS TO YOUNG FARMERS. Addressing members of tbe Feilding Young Farmers’ Club, on Tuesday, Mr H. C. D. Somerset dealt with the problems of Denmark. As a result of the Ottawa Conference, the speaker said, quotas were placed reducing drastically imports of Danish products to Britain. The result caused hardship to the • Danish farmers, who demanded that other markets be found. This played into Hitler’s hands and gave him a golden opportunity,to secure an economic foothold in Denmark. In 1936 Germany sent land agents to Denmark and bought up a considerable area of the farmland, those placed on the land being Nazi sympathisers. These “new” farmers became involved in the co-operatives and farmers’ unions, and au organisation of Nazi disciples was born. Trade w'ith Germany was arranged by means of payment for produce m blocked marks, which were exchangeable only' in German goods. Germany, in arranging tho one-way trade, stipulated what class of goods Denmark should buy, and the iniquitous agreement almost crippled.. Denmark, .who, when other countries were-getting over the depression, was becoming more deeply involved., Germany continued to bring Denmark under the influence of propaganda when she sent Nazi correspondents to Denmark to work, the speaker added. These Nazi agents, by subtle ingenuity, were able to find out all-people in Denmark of German descent and by coded circulars ascertained whether they had rifles and if they■ could use them. To combat Nazism the Democracies would require to become somewhat like Nazis during the war, Mr Somerset proceeded. The policy of appeasement was of no avail, when dealing with a powerful country like Germany. Referring to the natural resources of Denmark, Mr Somerset said that except for limestone the country had no mineral wealth; her electrical energy had to be brought from Sweden, .while coal was not produced in the country. The soil was poor and of clay'-like formation, perfectly flat and incapable of much growth of pasture in winter. It was a land of small farms, with the area of the whole of the country just a little larger than the Auckland' province. There were 205,000 farmers and one-sixth of these farmed areas ranging from 7£ to 25 acres. There were 1400 co-operative dairy companies and the average yield of butterfat per cow was 2721 b. No fewer than 98 per cent, of the farms.were freehold. The. first co-opera'tive dairy in the world was established in Denmark in 1882. Other industries were machinery manufacturing, beer and oil factories and shipbuilding. The Danish people lived simply and were fond of gardening. It was the ambition of most parents to be able to give their children education at the folk high schools when they reached the age of 18 years.