Show Germans Far From Starvation but High Prices es I Graft Shortages Black Market Darken Outlook Editor i note The Tb follow In In a rt on conditions Inside Germany In n the e fourth r winter of war deals ar with t t I food fod that arl Germans m eat and bow how touch much they pay for lor it itON It ON THE GERMAN FRONTIER Jan an 5 UP If UP-If It the Germans could buy the things that are displayed displayed dis- dis played In shop windows they would be well wen fed and warmly clothed But in too many cases there is nothing on on the shelves to correspond corre corre- spond pond with the window dressing Persons who have been inside Germany Germany Germany Ger Ger- many report that there there there-is is less food to o be purchased in the reich now than there was at the beginning of f the fourth winter of World war I I. I Food Card Joke There is a Joke In Berlin to the effect that in addition to ration cards two thin thines s are needed to buy tuy vitamins food food vitamins B and UT U T. T Vitamin B stands for gen to en to h have ve a drag or Influence Vitamin U UT T means unter dem dem- trading tisch under the counter There is still a black market in Germany where delicacies can be purchased if one has the money but ut the supplies have dwindled and prices are fantastic Coffee costs 53 a. a pound butter 18 a pound jound a a. bottle bottJe of cognac 20 20 Only high party officials diplomats diplomats diplo diplo- mats and a few are able to m meet et such prices German rations were cut heavily hea- hea fly ily in April 1942 but the amou amount t of food called for by a ration card has almost lost Jost Its ts inea meaning There Isn't enough food to fill fUl the ration requirements s. s Meat In C Caf Cafes fe ci A A. Swedish woman who recently came from Germany told the United Press it was vas weeks before she had become sufficiently friendly friendly friend friend- ly with a shopkeeper to get vege vege- tables If you are rich enough you do donot donot donot not bother the grocer and butcher but eat in a restaurant where you youcan youcan youcan can get at least the amount of meat meat about about three quarters of a pound per week week week-to to which you are entitled But the woman added you must S arrive early or you will not find a place place all all restaurants are overcrowded over over- crowded crowded or or the meat dishes will have been exhausted The nazis under R Re Hermann Goering's cynical slogan that whatever happens elsewhere in occupied Europe Germans will not riot starve have exerted themselves themselves themselves them them- selves to maintain the food front at a subsistence level Jevel For morale at Christmas they announced d a afew afew afew few extra rations including seven oun ounces es of m meat at small additional allotments of vegetables bread flour and margarine and two ounces of ersatz coffee made from grain gram or tea made from dried apple leaves S Feed Foreign Workers The reich is trying to feed between between be- be tween and foreign foreign for for- eign workers and war prisoners working on farms It also is actIng acting act- act ing ng as a clearing house for food supplies for almost all Europe prompting claims that Germany actually is feeding the equivalent equivalent of to more persons than before the war wal Germany must be extremely frugal with virtually every item of food except salt but the greatest greatest great- great es est and most persistent shortages include milk fish and fresh vegetables vege vege- tables Nazi propaganda makes much of the food producing potentialities of conquered areas particularly the Ukraine and Germanys Germany's future future fu fu- ture success in maintaining current current current cur cur- rent rations will wUl depend on how well she can exploit these territories terri tern tories A traveler reports that up to December only a single trainload of wheat had arrived in Berlin from the promised land Nevertheless the Germans are not starving although they are far worse off than the British |