February 15
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The daughter of the millionaire American publisher, Randolph Hearst, has been kidnapped. Patty Hearst, aged 19, was with her fianc? Steven Weed, in her flat in Berkeley, California, at 2100 local time yesterday (0500 GMT) when there was a knock on the door. When Miss Hearst answered it, two men and a woman burst in to the room. In a violent exchange, Mr Weed was forced to lie on the floor, and then hit on the head repeatedly with a wine bottle and tied up. A neighbour who heard the commotion and tried to help was also tied up and beaten. The kidnappers carried Miss Hearst off, kicking and screaming, and put her in the boot of a white car. Another car was also used, and as they sped off down the street they fired several shots at people in the street, although nobody was injured. Police said noransomdemand had yet been made, although this is thought the most likely motive for the kidnapping. Miss Hearst is an heiress to the multi-million dollar Hearst publishing empire, founded by her grandfather, William Randolph Hearst. Mr Hearst senior was a flamboyant newspaper proprietor whose career inspired Orson Welles in making his film, Citizen Kane. He built the spectacular and whimsical castle on the 127-acre family estate in San Simeon, California, from the proceeds of his empire, which includes popular magazines such as Cosmopolitan, Good Housekeeping and Harper's Bazaar. The company also publishes newspapers in a number of major American cities, including the San Francisco Examiner. Its president is Patty Hearst's father, Randolph Hearst. Mr Hearst was in Washington when the kidnap took place, but left immediately for California on hearing the news. One firm in Clapham Common gave 800 children 150lbs of lollipops during their midday break from school; and a London factory opened its doors to hand out free sweets to all comers. Adults joined in the sugar frenzy, with men in the City queuing up in their lunch breaks to buy boiled sweets and to enjoy the luxury of being able to buy 2lb boxes of chocolates to take home for the weekend. Stocks 'sufficient' The government and manufacturers have been quick to reassure the public that there would be no repeat of the first attempt to de-ration sweets, in April 1949, when demand far outstripped supply and they were put back on ration after just four months. This time, the Minister of Food, Major Gwilym Lloyd-George, has told the House of Commons that he has no doubt that stocks are sufficient. He has ordered a one-off allocation of extra sugar to manufacturers to help them meet the anticipated surge in demand. Sugar itself, though, still remains rationed, and manufacturers say the Ministry of Food should have freed sugar supplies as well as those of sweets and chocolate. As it is, they will have to make enough sweets to meet the demand of a de-rationed market, but with only 54% of the sugar supplies they had before the war. However, overall the industry gave a warm welcome to the news. "We are very glad about it," said a spokesman for the Cocoa, Chocolate and Confectionery Alliance. "We will do all we can to make it work." So far, despite the heavy sales, there have been no signs of panic buying, even though there are already shortages of the most popular brands. One reason may be that the price of confectionery has nearly doubled during the war, and many have not been taking up their full 6oz ration. Sweet coupons, though, will be with us for some time yet: it takes so long to print all 50m ration books that next year's have been designed already, sweet ration and all. |
