WAR SUPPLIES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 169, 18 July 1940, Page 8

WAR SUPPLIES.

N.Z. AND AUSTRALIA. MR. SULLIVAN SPEAKS. SUCCESSFUL MISSION. MANY ORDERS FOR DOMINION "I found Australia not so far advanced in the production of completed munitions as I had expedted, but to-day they are doing a great job and have created a vast munitions production organisation under the supreme direction of Mr. Essington Lewis, of the Broken Hill Proprietary Company," said the Hon. D. G. Sullivan, New Zealand Minister of Supply, who returned this morning by the flying-boat Awarua from a special mission to ithe Commonwealth.

"While in Australia," he stated, "I placed a good many orders for materials and comi>onents. These will be supplied from the factories embracing ammunition production, small arms and explosives which are operating tlieie."

Prior to tlie outbreak of the war armament and munition production was not very developed, but since then there had been a great speeding up, he said, in which a large amount of new machinery had been installed and brought into use. Foundation factories had been established and were being extended, and within the past few weeks private enterprise throughout the Commonwealth had been linked up with these central factories, situated mostly in Victoria.

Private enterprise was engaged in the j i rod net ion of parts, which were being fed into the central assembly plants, Mr. Sullivan continued. Australia had these materials and the machinery, ako the men and the skill, to enable the country to do a magnificent job. The only regret. they had was that they had not undertaken the work earlier.

Not Yet At Full Speed. In endeavouring to supply Xew Zealand's requirements, Australia was at present somewhat handicapped, he said, as the munitions required for this Dominion were those in which Australian production was not yet fully developed. He had therefore made arrangement* for the purchase of supplies in as advanced a stage a-s possible, the balance of the work to be done in New Zealand. He had, However, left many substantial orders for completed munitions so that when the Australian munitions machine was functioning at full speed, New Zealand would receive its quota. Leaders of business as well as members of tho Government in Australia had been greatly impressed by New Zealand's war effort, Mr. Sullivan said, and, what liad been done in this country was extensively quoted in the newsjiapers. He also found a considerable regard for New Zealand among all classes of the community, coupled with a desire that New Zealand and Australia should be constituted a sinjjio defence unit for the protection of Dominion ante Empire interests in tho South Pacific.

He mentioned that the New Zealand Railway workshops would hp able to play an important part in finishing off the work begun in Ar.Ktialia to meet New Zealand requirement*. Private engineering establishments here would ako be in a position to co-o]>erate. The demand for materials, particularly steel, including s-peeial steals, in Australia was so enormous that this would for a time be a limiting factor on the flow of supplies, and civil requirements on both eideA of the Tasman were likely to suffer to some extent meanwhile, until munitions orders were filled.

N.Z. Workers For Commonwealth? Asked when Australian orders -would begin to arrive in New Zealand. Mr. Sullivan said that no definite statement could bo made, but lie could give an assurance that under the direction of the Munitions and supply Department. in Australia. New Zealand would get its fair share and equal treatment in the rate of delivery. It appeared that there would be many requirements which New Zealand must continue to draw from the United Kingdom. Shaking of the possibility of sending New Zealand skilled workers to Australia to help in the increased production of munitions, Mr. Sullivan said that it was not known to what extent this would be practicable, and it" would depend ou how many men New Zealand could spare and on how many Australia desired to receive. Australia's first aim would be to give fullest employment to lier own workers, not only those who were unemployed, but also to others who could be drawn from various avenues of employment.

Further assistance to New Zealand's effort was being obtained by placing exj>erts in Commonwealth factories, where they would obtain the information necessary to enable New Zealand production to be expanded, said Mr. Sullivan. A number of experts were already receiving valuable instruction in the making, for example, of liornbs and grenades, plans and specifications of which would be made available to the Dominion. "Hie railways workshop would be able to undertake an important part of the work.