MUNITIONS FOR THE ALLIES

Press, Volume LXXX, Issue 24150, 8 January 1944, Page 5

MUNITIONS FOR THE ALLIES

CONTRIBUTION OF THE UNITED STATES

RUSSIA RECEIVES MOST assistance

(BOW) RUGBY, Jan. 6. A ’wealth of detail about vital United Nations war transportations is contained in President Roosevelts thirteenth report on lend-lease to the United States Congress. The cost of lend-lease aid from March, 1941, to the end of November last was 13.5 per cent, of all the United States war expenditure. Aeroplanes, guns, raw materials, food, and other goods transferred were 87 per cent, of the total aid to date. Transfers of finished munitions, were 53 per cent, of the total. Industrial items were 121 per cent, and foodstuffs and other agricultural products 13 per cent, of the total. The upward trend has been due, in a large part, to the sharp rise in aircraft, ordnance, and other munitions transferred.

Munitions were 61 per cent, of the total for the first 11 months of 1943.

Rental and charter ships and ferrying aircraft were the most important services, being more than half the value of all services.

Much of the balance consisted of training combat pilots, the repair of warships and merchantmen, the assembly of aircraft abroad, and similar war services.

More than 600,000,000 dollars have been expended on guns, aeroplanes, and other war production facilities in the United States. This represented a substantial addition to America’s industrial capacity. These plants have not been transferred to foreign governments. Some are producing munitions for the United States Armed forces. The total United States war expenditures, including lend-lease, have increased from one-third last year, to one-half this year, of the national income. Contributions to Russia Shipments to-the Soviet Union have been more than a quarter of the United States lend-lease exports to all countries. In the first 10 months of this year shipments were 63 per cent, higher than for the whole of 1942. In October America sent the Soviet nearly 7000 aeroplanes—more than any other lendlease country—more than 3500 ranks, and 195,000 motor vehicles, including trucks, jeeps, and motor-cycles. “We also shipped 1,790,000 tons of food and agricultural products,” says the report. “These have been largely items in which production has fallen far short of requirements, including wheat, flour, sugar, canned meat, edible, fats, oils, dried fruits, and vegetables. “The Soviet urgently requested butter for its army, particularly the many wounded soldiers recuperating in hospitals. We were able to send 33,400 tons. No butter has been scheduled for lendlease export to any other country. The United States received as reverse lendlease 8250 tons of butter from Australia and New Zealand for its Pacific forces. “We also sent to Russia 10,000 tons of seeds for 30 staple cro A 5,500,000 pairs of army boots, 16,600,000 yards of woollen clpths, 251,000 . tons of chemicals, 144,000 tons of explosives, 1,198,000 tons of steel,- 342,000 tons of non-ferrous metals, and 611,000 tons of petroleum. Aid to Britain “Lend-lease exports to the United Kingdom totalled nearly 6.000.000,000 dollars, or 43 per cent, of shipments to all areas.. Military items, have been 40 per cent, of the total, divided equally amongst three major categories, namely, ordnance and ammunition, aircraft and parts, tanks, and other motor 1 vehicles.; “Industrial items have been 26 per cent., and foodstuffs and agricultural products the remaining 34 per cent. “There has been a sharp increase in exports of munitions to the United Kingdom. The value of the tanks and parts sent this year has been more than nine and a half times the combined total of 1941-42. . - “Although the food sent was only 10 per cent, of the ' British total requirements, it represented the difference between haying and not having enough to" carry on effectively with the war effort. The foods have been mainly of the concentrated varieties of high food value essential to the health bf the armed forces and munition workers, yet requiring the minimum of space. ' “The British supplied our soldiers with fresh vegetables, flour, potatoes, cocoa, tea; and foods grown in Britain and the colonial Empire. This aid involved hundreds of special projects. “After studies had -revealed a serious shortage of coal for future military operations and essential civilian requirements, fjunds were made available to purchase relatively small amounts of mining machinery to increase production. British coal has been used to supply the American and Allied forces in the Mediterranean and other overseas needs.

American food is helping to maintain _ the rations of the Soviet Army, British soldiers, and war workers, and others on the froht or behind the lines. “Lend-lease is an essential element of the United Nations’ strategy to win, principally with their own weapons. Their factories use principally their own raw material and equipment. Their peoples raise most of the food they eat, but lend-lease supplies have been essential to supplement their own resources.

“Our Allies have been able to strike more damaging blows and are fighting more strongly than ever by the side of our forces. The war will be much shorter for it. This, of course, is the principal war benefit which the United States receives under the lend-lease programme.”

QUESTIONS FOR MR R. G. CASEY

WHITE AUSTRALIA POLICY (Rec. 6 p.m.) LONDON, Jan. 6. The new Governor of Bengal (Mr R. G. Casey), who will go to Bengal within a few days, met a large gathering of world newspapermen and quietly faced a barrage of critical questions from representatives of Indian and American negro newspapers. Replying to one coloured newspaperman, who suggested that Australia had harshly applied the colour bar, Mr Casey said that he was not going to Bengal as the representative of the Australian Government. Therefore it was not necessary to explain or answer the implications of the White Australia policy. Mr Casey refused to discuss the question, “In India’s position, how would Australia take the appointment of an Indian as Governor of an Australian state?’’

Mr Casey said the Question was too hypothetical for useful debate. Mr Casey said he thought the appointment of Ministers at large on the lines of the Minister of State in the Middle East would be valuable in peace-time for a country like Australia. Accredited to a number of governments in the Middle East and South America and other large areas, they would obtain valuable information for Australia from other countries facing similar problems.

WILLINGNESS TO LOSE MEN

JAPANESE IN PACIFIC WASHINGTON, Jan. 5. “It is the avowed intention of the Japanese to make every battle as costly as possible to us because they do not believe that we can take it, said Brigadier-General Merritt Edson, who was Chief of Staff in the United States attack on Tarawa, in the Gilbert Islands. “The Japanese are willing to take large losses in the hope that we will quit before we are able to defeat them. So far the Japanese have lost practically nothing except some shipping casualties, which »re light compared with their total 'strength.