"Army Helps In Food Crisis"

"Last May the people of Austria were war-starved. It was readily foreseen that civilian food supplies were not sufficient to meet civilian needs as well as those of the thousands of DPs. Something had to be done, and quickly. America, which had so long been the arsenal of Democracy, furnishing weapons on a scale never dreamed possible, now turned to the job of being world's food-larder. Austria, two-thirds mountainous and 38% forested, does not produce all its own food.

From American farms came thousands of tons of food. Wheat and milk were given first priority. In June, 1945, 24 long-tons of milk and 1,799 long- tons of wheat were shipped to Austria. This trickle soon became a flood. Coffee, fats, meat, pulse (peas, beans and lentils), and sugar were soon added to the list. By the end of December a total of 162,429 long-tons of foods had been brought to Austria by the U.S. Army. This figure included 123,634 tons of wheat, 13,956 tons of meat, 12,167 tons of pulse, 1,207 tons of powdered milk, 6,147 tons of fats, 1,237 tons of coffee and 6,246 tons of sugar."

"A Year of Progress", The Commanding General reviews 42nd's occupation job in Austria, 1946 (The estate of "Major General Harry J. Collins", Boltzmann-Institut/ Steinocher-Fonds Archive, Salzburg)