SUPPLY POSITION OF EMPIRE

Dominion, Volume 33, Issue 94, 15 January 1940, Page 8

SUPPLY POSITION OF EMPIRE

Almost Self-Supporting

(British Official Wireless.)

RUGBY, January 13.

The Empire’s supply position is regarded as highly favourable generally bv tire Ministry of Supply, which has become possibly the largest trader in the world. It handles directly materials to the total value of £150,000,000, and in regard to not only aluminium, copper, and other non-ferrous metals, but also to raw materials for fertilizers. molasses, and scores of other commodities, buys up practically all the available supplies in this country. Colonel Liewellin, Civil Lord of the Admiralty, discussing the . supply situation, said that the Empire was almost self-supporting in the raw materials it needed. “We supply a large proportion of the rubber and tin of "the world,” lie said, "and in other commodities the productive capacity lias been considerably increased since 1914. Rhodesia has since opened copper mines, Canada is producing aluminium, Sierra Leone iron ore and India cotton. “The Empire production of copper has increased from 85,000 tons annually in 1914 to GOO.OOO tons, lead ore from 130.000 tons to 030,000 tons nickel from 20.000 tons to 95,000 tons and aluminium from 13,900 tons to 88.000 tons.” He said that the Ministry had bought all the wool clips of Australia and New Zealand for the period of the war and a year after, as well as the clips of South Africa and Britain.