FOOD FROM GERMANY
SIR,—When reading the News of the Week—usually so interesting and accurate—in The Spectator of November 29th, I came across a sentence which appears to me to be rather misleading. It is said there that "the main food-producing region of pre-Hitler Germany is now in Poland." May I be allowed to draw your attention to Professor Rose's letter published in The Manchester Guardian of October 15th, in which figures are quoted from German pre-Hitler statistics. According to these figures, the territories now lost by Germany supplied to the rest of the Reich (Berlin included) o.86 per cent. of the wheat, 5.1 per cent. of the rye and
2.7 per cent. of the potatoes harvested in this area. Being much interested in this subject, I found by comparing statistical data that the former German territories now incorporated into Poland—it has to be here kept in mind that one-third of East Prussia was given by the Potsdam decisions to the U.S.S.R.—contributed, e.g., in 1928, to consumption in the rest of the Reich only 0.77 per cent, of the wheat, 4.53 per cent, of the rye, 2.27 per cent. of potatoes of the entire amounts harvested in the rest of Germany. Moreover, these territories supplied to the rest of Germany 5.68 per cent. of its entire consumption of pigs, and 2.75 per cent. of its cattle stock.—I remain, Sir, yours faithfully, J. F. JonEs. 9 Rosebery Road, Muswell Hill, N. zo.
Previous page
