‘Hunger Fundamental In World Today’

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 29051, 13 November 1959, Page 13

‘Hunger Fundamental In World Today’

(Rec. 9.20 p.m.) JOGJAKARTA, November 12. It was time for the world to think of hunger as the basic action for aiding new nations because hunger was the most fundamental fact in the world today, the Prime Minister of New Zealand (Mr Nash) told the Colombo Plan conference of Ministers here today.

Mr Nash, the only Prime Minister attending the conference, arrived in Jogjakarta today from London.

Mr Nash said New Zealand shared with other Asian countries a ‘critical dependence” on commodity prices, which in turn effected national exports, incomes and standards of living.

“I do not profess to know all the answers to this problem —we certainly have not solved it completely in New Zealand —but 1 know development plans can become meaningless and that the urgent and pressing struggle to secure a rising standard of living can be frustrated by unexpected and marked falls in export income.”

New Zealand has been able to maintain its Colombo Plan contribution at £1,000,000 a year, he said.

“We are very conscious that compared with many other countries, our position is far from desperate and thus we are willing to continue our practice of making capital grants available in the form of foreign exchange.” New Zealand, after reviewing the Colombo Plan, concluded: Capital aid should be concentrated in sectors where the need was clear and urgent Projects should be fully integrated into the development plans of the receiving country. Projects should be seen through from planning to the productive stage. “Fruitful Exercise”

He described the Colombo Plan as “one of the most fruitful exercises m international cooperation and understanding ever devised. It is undoubtedly the most practical and dynamic aspect of our (New Zealand) external affairs policy". . . •** Mr Nash said the quickening demand for economic and social pro-

Sress after centuries of inertia was the predominant trend of the current generation.'

He believed historians would point to the highlight of the first half of the 20th century as “the revolt of teeming millions of people against poverty, disease and ignorance.”