ENGLISH BLIZZARD CONTINUES

Rotorua Morning Post, Issue 5329, 15 February 1947, Page 5

ENGLISH BLIZZARD CONTINUES

(press A ssn

pOWER SUPPLY CRITICAL falling gas stocks also cause anxiety

. — Rec. 9.30 p.m.)

LONDON, Feb. 14. Air Ministry weather experts sav there is no hope yet 0f a let-up in blizzard conditions. Temperabflres are still beloAV zero throughout Britain, except for a few points in the exlreme west. The Prime Minister, Mr. Attlee^. speakino- in the House of Commons, said 78,000 tons of coal were saved in the first three days of the power restrictions. Th,e pereentao'e of coal saved yesterday compared with ihe normal daily consumption had risen to 37 per cent from 33 pei cent on Monday. "Tiie situation remains very criti-t-al." H'- Attlee deelared. He said that --ix London power stations ii;u! only enough coal for a week in normal conditions. Elsewheie stations lra«! about nine da.vs' snpply. Stiu-k> held by g'as yndertakings •veir a!> i giving cause for anxiety, panirtilai ly in London, where there wero oiily enough for ahout nine and a-half days. Aboul 1,750,000 persons were out of work in areas where industrial power was reslrieted, and ahout ], 000,01)0 >'" tliem had claimed unemploj ment benefit. Mr. Atilee saiu the rebr.ilding of stocks 1 1 -al'ety level depen.led on the imivcitn .t i»f coal by rail and sea, Coal Must Go Through "The xial must get through: we ,aii -v:? li :iic tide," was the unanimous ileeisi..:: ..r the captains of 52 coaleanyinc \essels which sailed into the aaie tV»iu ports in the north-east of Englan.i yesterday to relieve the coal faminc h: London. Reti'i t'liy their departure the Daily Mail >ay> threy went out from Hartlepool. blyth. the Tyne and the Wear, caiTyittc 103.000 tons of coal. An.'iher Mi ships are waiting a ohana- t'i ieave port and a further 2ii are !a;iing. Tlie tiinvement of coal, liotli by sea ar.d rail. i- still serioitsly interrupted by the weather. Army convoys areleinfoiciny road transport, much of which Is still snowed up in many parts m: the C'limtry. Britisii otficials in Washington said aiiaticeatcttts had been made for the "iumi'le iumkering" of nearly all BritFn ship. cominy to American ports. Bwihli- bunkermg, which was practis&Liisring the war under lend-lease. .'lteatis that the ships will take on rnosgh coal to take them to Britain and yetv.rti to America. ('autahi (Tranville Conway, special "exjiedire: ^ appointed by President Trumati to ■uirry coal and "-rain shipments Kttrope, to-day advocated the diversio:; .f Britain of some American coal iiot\ •joiny to Europe. "I think it is i l . 1 i-'ily feasihle," he said, "but M'nper." He added that 1,220.000 tons of Anieiica ti coal had gone to Europe in January a tic. The dollar expenditute it.volvcii in paying for coal iliver.ed • , Britain should he consid-, creil it: : : tight of loss ol" dollar ex-~ ohanga- already resulting from the slackeiiii: : oi' ihe British export ilrive. America Out Fo Help Englaiu! lo the Ful! \\ ASHIXGTON, February 11. President Truman nas nrdered a stutly «i' i niergeney measures which Ihe l nited States might he ahle to take to relieve the British coal shortage. The President stated: "The l uiti'd States Government •starnls i cad\ to do everything within its power l() relieve the plight of the British people in their l'uel Pmergency. "AUtio te :: we'have received no reQtitd t'rom Eugland for aid. I have diiected L;unain Granville Conway to tieterniino \i,-w quickly and in what •l-antity ,-;in he landed at Britisii Ports. Diversion of Colliers "It \v«i dd take a minimum of 15 to Uiip coal from the United States t,, E.igiand— shipments miglu t'try weil a.- rive too late to help in the present cnu-rvency. However, there j5 a nunuo-i of colliers at sea earry- % coal ;,t other European countries. It may he possihle to divert some of these colliers to English ports. "The United States representative ,!1 the European coal organisation, ^'hich sits in London, has been instructed to support such re-allocation 'I this is the British desire. It is anderstoud of course, that coal diverted l'r.r.n other countries would e made up as rapidly as shipping ^h&lules can be adjusted." Increase in Coal Export President Truman eontinued: "The United States has done a remarkable J°h in inereasing coal exports, which ^lounted to 1,800,000 tons in Decem!]ei' and 2.500,000 tons in January, uhile it js planned to ship 2,900,000 t°ns in February. In March we hope 1° do even better, for these shipments vital to the rehabilitation of u'°Pe and other war-torn areas." President Truman strongly urged J>ngress to extend to June 30 the • aritime Commission's authority to "Perate Government-owned ships, ^"hich expires on Marcli-l. He said at unless the Commission's author- % tvere renewed the emergency ex- , P°rt programmes. for- fuel and grain l ^0laltV break down completely at the i ®nd of this month. I The Solid Fuels Administration I S5,d about 11,000,000 tons of coal a | rtonth was available for export, but I only a iractj(>n cotild !^c shipped

because of a shortage of colliers. However, it was estimated that soft coal exports could be increased by 500,000 to 11,000,000 tons a month with the present shipping faeilities.