ONE DESTINY

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVIII, Issue 80, 2 October 1944, Page 4

ONE DESTINY

PACIFIC NATIONS

INFLUENCE OF LEND-LEASE

WASHINGTON, September 20

United States Senator James M. Mead, of New York, who visited Australia in a round-the-world tour of battlefronts, in commenting on lendlease, said recently:—.

I On September 18, 1931, Japan started I out—in the words of the Tanaka Memj orial—to seek "the conquest of China, Asia, India, and the South Seas" and I the "domination of East. Asia as a means^ to the conquest of the world." What happened in Manchuria set the pattern for Japan's future course of aggression. The people of Australia and New Zealand were looking northwards in growing concern long before the Japanese subjugation of French Indo-China, Burma, the Philippines, and the islands immediately to the north of Australia. The people of Australia and New Zealand had no intention of permitting Japan to conquer them. Through constitutional processes they pooled their fighting men, wealth, and enormous resources to hold back and eventually defeat the Japanese. These heroic fighting men and civilians were joined iin the common effort by the United States. In addition to combat manI power supplied by the United States to the mutual task of defeating the Japanese 1,011,835,000 dollars' worth lof lend-lease materials was put into the battle pool by the United States between March, 1941, and June. 1944. WATCHWORD. CO-OPERATION. A two-way flow of co-operation existed between Australia, New Zealand, and the United States when we were on the defensive. Now that we are on the offensive the watchword is still "co-operation." What has been done jointly cannot be measured by mere dollars and cents. No cash value can be placed on individual freedom or national survival. The American people know that Australia and New Zealand are supplying over 90 per cent, of the food needs of our troops in the South and' South-west Pacific. In New Zealand alone only 25 per cent, of the total food production is retained for civilian consumption. Fifty per cent, is sent to the United Kingdom and 25 per cent, goes to American troops. Hundreds of thousands of tons of food are made available to American troops by Australia, where 20 per cent, of the total war budget is devoted to reverse lend-lease. , The American' people are grateful for the personal sacrifices of the people of Australia and New Zealand to the .support and maintenance of our troops. We are equally proud that we can match that superb effort. War-vital tin, farm machinery, dehydration equipment, marine engines, motor vehicles, and vast amounts of ordnance and ammunition—even a canning factory complete in every detail —have been exported under lend-lease from the United States to these areas. Our troops have been given food by the people of Australia and New Zealand. American 'machinery has helped to produce and process that food. Our overall lend-lease policy has lightened the burdens which our friends and Allies would have found it otherwise more difficult to carry United^ States lend-lease accounts for an important 10 ocr cent, of the1 food supply of the United Kirfgdom; 20 per cent, comes from all other sources, and 70 per cent, is produced within the United' Kingdom itself. Without the U.S. Lend-lease contribution, the responsibility for making up that vital 10 per cent, would fall on Australia and New Zealand and their sister States within the British Commonwealth of Nations. ROAD TO COMMON VICTORY. The singleness of purpose of Australia, New Zealand, and the United States submerges the cost of the common enterprise. It makes little difference that the United States put goods into the common pool iip to December 30, 1941 to the value of 647,5241,000 dollars; or that Australia, during the same period, put goods valued at 362,364,000 dollars into that same pool. It does make a big difference that we are now on the offensive instead of the defence as we once were. It does make a substantial difference that together we have put Japan on the defensive and that we are now fighting on the road to a common victory. It makes all the difference in the world that our peoples are free—and will remain free —where less than three years ago they were faced with the threat of invasion The destinies of Australia, New Zealand, and the United States have been as one in this war. On the basis of this unity will be founded enduring and beneficial relationships in the world of peace which will follow our common victory. •

Back in the Dominion the R.N.Z.A.F.