ESSENTIAL SUPPLIES MUST BE MAINTAINED

Press, Volume LXXX, Issue 24271, 31 May 1944, Page 2

ESSENTIAL SUPPLIES MUST BE MAINTAINED

BRITAIN'S FOOD

I have just concluded a most interesting and valuable tour of many of the farming districts of New Zealand in both islands. I wonder how far it is generally realised in this favoured country that it is possible to eat, in a single day, almost as much meat or butter as would keep a person in the United Kingdom going for a whole week. When, for instance, a liberal helping of butter has been placed before me at the breakfast table in New Zealand, I have not been able to avoid the reflection that that single helping was often equivalent to a whole week’s ration (2oz) in the country from which I come. It may be of interest to recall that just before Lord Woolton. the Ministei of Food, who was responsible for feeding Britain during most of the war period, left his office a short time ago to take up other duties, he mentioned in a public speech that the rations of meat and dairy produce were always in danger; and that during 1944 he would be even more dependent upon supplies from Australia and New Zealand than ever before. He informed his audience, however, that he knew for a certainty that these countries, inspired as they were by a sense of loyalty and affection for the land from which their ancestors came, would leave nothing undone that was humanly possible to give Britain sufficient physical strength to continue the vast output of munitions of war and to carry her through the struggle that lay ahead. This statement recalls a famous speech by Mr Churchill, at the end of which he exclaimed: “Give us the tools and we will finish the job.” Lord Woolton’s speech may perhaps be summarised as: "Give us food to help us finish the job.”

Declining Statistics

Figures were recently issued by the Commonwealth Government of Australia, which show that the export of butter from Australia to Britain in 1939-40 amounted to approximately 109.000 tons, but that in 1942-43 the figure had declined to about 49,000 tons. In the same period the exports of meat fell from approximately 260.000 tons to about 110,000 tons. Cheese fell from 18,000 tons to 7000 tons. These figures provide the key to the difficulties Britain is experiencing in maintaining the meat, butter, and cheese rations during 1944, because the exports irom New Zealand are unfortunately also very much less than they used to be. It is, of course, well known that New Zealand has many more mouths to feed than she had pre-war, when Britain was her only important export market, and that there are many new war-time claims upon her food resources. Meat, for example, has now to be canned in quantities immensely greater than before the war; and de-

hydrated meat, which is a war invention, h..s to be produced, so that it can be shipped in small compass in nonrefrigerated space for feeding troops. Similarly, there are great new demands upon milk production—particularly the manufacture of evaporated milk in great quantities for service requirements. These new demands for processed food, etc., coupled with the current difficulties of primary producers, are no doubt the prime cause for the decline in exports to Britain. In the light of facts such as these, it is my job to consult with the appropriate authorities to see how best we can all balance our national food budgets; and to ensure that in the stress of great and growing war-time difficulties arrangements are made to maintain the rations in Britain, where the workers are engaged in an all-out effort to produce munitions in sufficient quantities to enable the fortress of Europe to be captured—dare we hope during 1944? Effects of a Ration Cut

The scientists in the United Kingdom feel that it will be very difficult indeed for the workers to be able to continue their heavy duties if their rations fall below the present level. Professor Sir Jack Drummond, Chief Scientific Adviser to the Ministry of Food, for example, has recently stated that Britain’s present food situation is nutritionally disturbing. He pointed out that there is 1 a shortage of “good protein” foods such as milk, cheese and meat. The present rations of these foods are barely sufficient to maintain the'health of the people—particularly in a country which has experienced over four years of rationing and is still subject to disturbed nights by enemy bombing. He explained that, even from a coldblooded nutritional point of view, the people were only just getting enough food; and that a cut in the rations might have a very marked psychological effect on the whole national life. Professor Drummond concluded by stating that every person in Britain was intensely grateful to New Zealand for the food already supplied; and that Britain would have been in desperate nutritional trouble without it.

Britain is. of course, doing her utmost to maintain her own production of foodstuffs. She grows over twothirds of her own food nowadays, as compared with one-third pre-war. She has been able to maintain her dairy

IBv W BANKES AMBRY, Leader of the United Kingdom Food Mission fe my w. Australia and New Zealand.]

herds; and to increase her total mn'v production to a point at which it hT been possible to give priority suonlinf of milk to mothers and children a a! to ensure the good health of futon! generations of Britons. But the ord inary population in winter time hav* no more than two deliveries of milk a week—each of one pint, and even i» summer they do not get more than four pints. This is particularly hard on old people, for whom milk in varj. ous forms —and in the welcome cup oj tea—is sometimes the principal nom* ishment. . Other forms of animal husbandry 1 have declined because it has been i®. possible to import feeding stuffs pn | scale sufficient to obviate a consider, able reduction in the numbers of beef f cattle, sheep, pigs, and poultry. vj

Meat Before the war Britain used to pro. duce well over 1,000,000 tons of meat annually—more even than the .total - ' production of Australia. In those dayi 't about half her total consumption of'"'meat was home killed. Under wit conditions the production of meat hjj had to give way to the production-of- ,- milk; but nevertheless Britain is star*’ by far the largest individual contribu^i- ; tor to her own meat supplies. She produces two-fifths of her war-time meat' consumption—the remaining three- * fifths being contributed by several difr' ferent countries. The South countries are supplying approximately ,: their pre-war quantity; and for the to. ' mainder Britain must rely to a large,4. extent upon the Dominions, who mfA= pre-war years sent large quantities ef& meat in the ordinary course of trades Indeed, if by some miracle New Zed.'?? land could maintain her pre-war ex-s ' ports of carcase meat, Britain’s culties would be substantially solved.^ Britain now contributes little and cheese toward her own require., ments, because most of her milk is quired for consumption in liquid form, 1 ?'? Consequently she must rely mainly*, upon Australia and New Zealand for J the maintenance of the 2oz ration; and if New Zealand could some* how contrive to send to Britain about half the difference between the aver- u age pre-war exports and the present';,? exports, the anxiety for the mainten-' ance of the 2oz butter ration in Bri-i’V tain would be removed. The cheese ra-®. tion has recently been reduced from f V 3oz to 2oz, and it is most important that there should be no reduction in any other rations. . I have heard surprise _ expressed Idy;.

some quarters that Britain should not,l, be able to get her war-time require* r. ments elsewhere, and thus free NwMp Zealand for the time being to trate on supplying food to her own civilians and to the fighting force* iq>>, the Pacific war zones. Britain, how** ever, as shown above, can only her population of 47,000,000 people keeping open all her available war channels of* trade. And although.*she is prepared to take all the d«li produce and meat which New can supply for export, she is not presj^*; l ing for any quantities in excess of prfrfci? war levels. Food is Shorter than Ships ‘ There was a period during the when there was more food than ships,-^, That was when the forces of Bntwit.iK and of the Dominions faced the ca«wy# rwithout Allies; and when MussolinihM^f; to b e chased out of Africa and\th«%. Mediterranean via Suez. The ShijSjiii were then wanted for troops and tions more than for food. The tion is now somewhat reversed. is shorter than ships; and Britain annually supply refrigerated all the meat and dairy produce tralia and New Zealand can spare pr’>. export. This does not mean that-ttw ~ may not be an occasional difficulty at the height of the peak killif|g- «ia*. ; > son; but taking the year as the ships will be there. ■.«*>'.-

A quotation is made at the taeajj of jhis article from a former speftfcb* - Mr Churchill. Another recents&eecn by him J mentioned that the would be-a.year of ‘‘climaxMfewjU. be a year in which an all-out'p^P'-tion of munitions will" be essehtiaCSplt* , ; fires and Lancasters made by British •, workmen and workwomen will be re* qUired in ever increasing numbers.. Bombs and' ammunition must be pro- ;-. duced in prodigious quantities. Wafi.V ships will still be wanted to convoy,.' millions of pounds worth of supplies to Russia to help Russia also to finish;*' the job; and when Hitler is beaten;> - the warships and munitions and aero- v > planes will be diverted for service in ‘.V ‘j the Pacific. The workers who make •■-> : them must be fed. They cannot main* .g tain their strength if their wives have.V., less than 11b of meat and 2o*,i,': of butter weekly to feed tbem, with. Any additional effort which New oZealand can make toward ensuring that i the exports of carcase meat and but* r . ter are increased somewhat toward pre-war levels, will thus not only cn*/ sure the maintenance of the British rations, but also help to shorten the- *; war, save lives, and aveit the possir.. bility of crisis on the food front simul-;-;. taneously with climax on the front. ’iK