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International Wire       Service
International telephone  and  telegraph
service for the German civil population in
the US and British Zones of Germany to all
countries of the world except Spain and Ja-
pan and their dependencies is authorized as
of 1 April.
Content of telegrams and subject matter
of telephone conversations is limited to the
exchange of information and ascertainment
of facts; the closing of business deals and
contracts is prohibited; and no messages
relative to German external assets, even if
only of a simple informational character, is
permitted. The Communications Branch, TA
&C Division, OMGUS, added that it is prob-
able that certain countries will not exercise
their right to reestablish international tele-
communications services with the US and
British Zones on 1 April.
Only those Germans authorized by the
Joint Export-Import Agency (US/UK) in
the US and British Zones will be authorized
to make outgoing calls or to send outgoing
telegrams; however, there will be no limita-
tions on incoming service. Rates in Reichs-
mark for outgoing civil traffic have been
increased 100 percent over 1938-39 levels.
Penicillin Potentialities.
Sufficient raw materials and equipment
are available in the US and British Zones to
manufacture between 100 and 200 billion
Oxford units of penicillin per month, accord-
ing to a special investigation by penicillin
experts of the German production potential
in the two zones.
Specialized chemical equipment for this
project is available within Germany, and
leading manufacturers in the United States
are considering a suggestion to furnish the
necessary supervision to operate a new plant
for large volume production, according to
the Economics Division, OMGUS.
At present the only source of domestic
penicillin is the Hoechst plant in the US
Zone, producing between 40 and 50 million
units a month. This production is limited to
external medicinal uses, due to impurities.
Decline    in  Production
Industrial production in the US Zone
during January dropped approximately 20
percent from December to an estimated 31
percent of the 1936 average. The main
reasons for this decrease were weather and
transportation difficulties: With the Rhine-
Main waterway system choked with ice,
hundreds of locomotives frostbound, high-
ways piled high with snow drifts, telephone
and telegraph lines down and power cut off
in many industrial centers, all major indus-
try groups declined during the month.
There were, however, certain favorable
aspects in the industrial picture: More men
mined coal during Januatry than in any
month of the occupation; pig iron production
showed an increase, along with sheet and
plate steel, important factors in the produc-
tion of farm machinery and consumer goods;
the output of cooking and heating stoves,
automotive spare parts, and certain other
items also rose.
Personnel Changes
Brig. Gen. Cornelius E. Ryan has been
named US Member of the Berlin Kommanda-
tura and Commanding General, Berlin Com-
mand, OMGUS. Prior to this assignment,
General Ryan was Commanding Generial,
Headquarters Command, USFET.
Col. Mark Brislawn has been appointed
Acting Headquarters Commandant, EUCOM.
Arthur S. Barrows has been appointed
Deputy Director of the Economics Division,
OMGUS, in charge of bipartite negotiations
and operations. He is a former president of
Sears Roebuck and Company.
Lt. Col. George H. Paul is director of the
newly-established Minden office of Public
Relations Office, OMGUS.
James E. King, Jr., has been appointed
Acting Staff Secretary, OMGUS.
Col. V. C. Stevens is serving as Acting
Director of Manpower Division, OMGUS,
during the temporary absence of Leo R.
Werts.
Lt. Col. Alfred B. Jaynes has been named
Theater Chief of Claims, EUCOM..
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