News of rationing step premature, Warsaw says

Polish authorities said an announcement of drastic food rationing was premature, and the Solidarity union labeled the move a government retreat in the face of labor opposition.Solidarity had issued a communique from its headquarters in Gdansk complaining bitterly that the rationing was announced without consultation.

Meanwhile, the plan to give the hard-pressed Poles some breathing space moved a step forward when West German banks agreed to postpone repayment of their p ortion of the $1.05 billion due over the next three months.