SUPPLIES FOR THE FRONT

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 221, 15 June 1944, Page 4

SUPPLIES FOR THE FRONT

. A recent cable message stated that ever since landing operations began “a concentration of Allied shipping five miles in width had been off the shores of Normandy,” That is the supply line ot the fighting forces, and the supplies have been made available by nearly five years of prodigious effort. Out of an adult population o 33,100,000 available for work in Great Britain no fewer than ZA/bO UUU are engaged in the Services or in essential employment. In 194 U women represented only 12 per cent, of the labour force in the production of aircraft, but last year they were 40 per cent. It was stated recently that in munitions industries as a whole, including shipbuilding, about a third of the workers were women, that illustrates in an impressive manner the way in which a democratic countiy can organize itself to meet aggression. , A few weeks ago the Minister of Production, Mr. Lyttelton, • wave the House of Commons the salient figures relating to the output of munitions and other things from the outbreak of the war until the end of 1943—the things that have enabled the campaigns to be carried through'in North Africa and be conducted with increasing momentum in many parts of the world. The figures are of astronomical proportions. There were 83,000 tanks, armoured cars and carriers, over 150,000 guns of large calibre and 150,000,000 rounds of ammunition for them. Nearly 5.250,000 machineguns, sub-machine-guns and rifles were made with 7,000,000,000 rounds of snia J' ammunition. To provide the necessary transport more than 1 .OOO.UUU ■ wheeled vehicles were built, and just on 90,000 aircraft, mainly ot combat, types. . . . These, together with the rations, clothes, equipment and the thousand and one things the modern navy, army and air force must have, are among the supplies which must be available when and where required. And, in addition, the ships to deliver them have been built or repaired as well as the naval vessels to protect them. The Minister would give no particulars of these things, but he did say that our -naval construction has more than replaced our losses, so that by the end of 1943 in most types of vessels our strength was greater than at the beginning of the war.” Mr. Lyttelton also deemed it inadvisable to give details of the provision made for arming ships and aircraft, but said that hundreds of thousands of 40 and 20mm. cannon guns and other weapons for aircraft, and Sin. to 16in. guns for the Navy had been produced. , These are the supplies that have made the landing possible,, and the full impressiveness of the figures, large as they are. will be missed unless it is realized that they represent the consistent, .sustained effort of the whole nation. Admittedly they do not constitute the entire picture. From the United States, Canada and. elsewhere has come an ever-increasing flow of armaments and supplies, but tins immense contribution t'o the common cause from the Mother Country was made despite the fact" that for long periods the enemy was able to bomb her ports and cities almost at will, tliat the risk of attack as never absent, that food had to be drastically rationed, what lias been achieved was achieved in a war zone and no other count! y can make that claim. The national effort was directed to the one end, the defeat of the enemy. The British people quickly realized that war is not divisible, and the result is that behind the fighting services are the supplies, capable it has been said of meeting even extravagant losses due to accident or misadventure. Probably, in. the years to come, nothing will seem more impressive than the years of unremitting preparation.

By a substantial majority the associations in the New Zealand Master Grocers’ Federation have voted against a five-day week. A contrary decision would have meant great inconvenience, even hardship in many cases, to the consumer, whose position in the community is beginning to present a close resemblance to “the forgotten man”—and woman. Restrictions on deliveries imposed by war-time conditions have added greatly to the burden of shopping and parcel-carrying lo the stresses of domestic duties. Housewives have to do their shopping wty-n they can. and it would be very difficult for many to fit this into the narrow compass of a five-day week, especially in the rural districts where time and distance is a serious consideration. Moreover, the economic side of the picture from the trading point of view is by no means unimportant. Restrictions which operate in restraint of trade, for that is what the shortened shopping week would mean, must result in loss amounting to a considerable sum over the retailer’s year. The argument that the same amount of trade could bo compressed within a narrower compass by shoppers making their arrangements accordingly does not hold waler, for an open shop has a certain psychological effect on customers. It recalls a need ami prompls a purchase. A closed door does not make for good business.