THE WAR EFFORT

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 62, Issue 88, 24 January 1942, Page 2

THE WAR EFFORT

MR HOLLAND’S MEMORANDUM. CONSIDERED BY WAR CABINET. (P.A.) WELLINGTON, January 23. After his recent correspondence with the Prime Minister (the Rrt. Hon. P. Fraser), the Leader of the Opposition (Mr S. G. Holland) attended a meeting. of the War Cabinet to-day at the invitation of Mr Fraser, and placed before it a comprehensive memorandum dealing with various aspects of the war effort.

Asked subsequently if the memorandum could be published, Mr Holland said that at the request of the Prime Minister he had agreed to withhold publication for a few days to enable the members of the War Cabinet to have the opportunity of considering it.

Mr Holland said in an interview tonight that he had completed his memorandum, which covered a wide range of subjects, and ran into 15 pages or typewritten foolscap paper. He had presented it to the Prime Minister himself this morning and at his requestattended a meeting of members of the War Cabinet, at which the matters he had raised were discussed with them for 2} hours. The Prime Minister said Mr Holland had expressed pleasure at the opportunity of discussing the memorandum with him, and had thanked him on behalf of the Cabinet and the Government for the proposals ho had submitted slid the comments offered.

“I submitted concrete proposals,” said Mr Holland, “with the object qf bringing about a much more effective war effort in this country.” Mr Holland expressed appreciation of the manner in which lie had been received by the Prime Minister and the members of the War Cabinet. He hoped that his representations would result in an improvement in a number of directions where public apprehension had been expressed. Mr Fraser’s Statement. “If any of the proposals contained in Mr Holland’s will improve our war effort, even in the smallest degree, then they will bo adopted,” said Mr Fraser. He added that until there had been an examination and analysis of the memorandum it was not possible to say how much of practical: utility it contained. “Mr Holland accepted my invitation to meet the W 7 ar Cabinet, and we. had a discussion on some points in his memorandum,” said Mr Fraser. “Many of the matters raised will, of course, have to he submitted to the service chiefs and others in plositions of responsibility for their comments before the War Cabinet can give an opinion on them.

“In these circumstances it is necessary that the question of the publication of the memorandum should be postponed until those concerned with the administration of the various defence operations are consulted and their opinions obtained. “Mr Holland made certain suggestions, the merits and practicability of which will be closely examined,” continued Mr Fraser. “The discussion at the War Cabinet was of the most helpful nature, and I personally expressed my indebnetness to Mr Holland for his observations and his general report.”