LEASE-LEND ACT

Evening Star, Issue 24016, 15 October 1941, Page 5

LEASE-LEND ACT

AMERICAN AID FOR NEW ZEALAND GO-OPERATION OF MANUFACTURERS ESSENTIAL To some 200 manufacturers and business men assembled in the Tudor Hall last night, when the annual meeting of the Dunedin Manufacturers’ Association was held, the Rt. Hon. J, G. Coates, a member of the War Cabinet, 'gave a detailed and breezy account of his recent visit to the United States and Canada, when an investigation of the possibilities of extending the provisions for the Lease and Lend Act to New Zealand were considered. His visit, he stated, was a very successful one, and he had been well received everywhere, and his requests had been given every consideration. He had been taken everywhere and allowed to see tho extent of war production now going on in the two countries. He detailed much of this work, and he created a deep impression when he declared that the full peak of U.S. production had not by any means been reached yet. AMALGAMATION OF VIEWS. The one man in America who knew what the Lease-Lend Act really meant was the late Mr Purves, head of the United States Purchasing Mission, said Mr Coates. Ho it was who laid down the formula which had been acceptable to America and to the Allied countries. The basic points which had to be adhered to were that we did not procure from America goods which we could get within the Empire and that goods procured under the Lease-Lend Act were not to be sold to other countries or to be put to any use other than war purposes.

In the Lease-Lend Act there had been an amalgamation of strictly differing opinions—Democrat andl Republican—welded firmly on the one point. Only the isolationists were opposed to the policy, and their view was easy to understand. Speaking of American political opinion broadly, Mr Coates said that east of tho Mississippi the people generally were with President Roosevelt’s policy; they saw tho dangers if the United Kingdom and Africa went under, and realised that Hitler would be satisfied only with world domination! so there was an almost, but not wholly complete acceptance of tho fact that the United States were out to defeat Hitler and' his ultimate objective. West of the Mississippi to the mountains there was a difference of opinion brought about by the fact that tho people there were 800 to 1,000 miles from the coast on either side. That area was rich in raw materials, agriculture, and manufacturing centres. On the West Coast the people did not fear a danger from Europe so much as from tho Far East. Between them all, however, was a strong and growing feeling that the United States should be “up and doing ” to substantiate the declaration by President Roosevelt and hie Government. COLOSSAL FIGURES. Mr Coates went on to describe some of the men be bad met and their reactions to his mission, and despite their conflicting political beliefs, they were agreed that the United States ought to be playing a definite part. The States were diverting to tho United Kingdom under the leasc-lend equipment and material which should be going towards building up their own forces, but, .although not prepared themselves, the States had, up till August last, released seven billion dollars’ worth of material to the United Kingdom and her allies. Of that sum six billion, 300 million dollars’ worth had gone to the United Kingdom, and the rest to countries which had been overrun. “GET EVERYTHING YOU WANT.” His relations with Mr Harry Hopkins had been very happy, Mr Coates continued. This man was very close to President Roosevelt, and he had his offices at the White House. His questions were very straight to the point, and ho demanded from Mr Coates an exact indication of New Zealand’s requirements. lie seemed very interested to learn that the fulfilment of the many requirements would bring a feeling of uplift and security to the people of New Zealand. “Mr Hopkins said to me: ‘ Don’t leave the country until you got everything you want,’ ” Mr Coates stated. “ ‘Tiie President had agreed, and we are ready to help.’ ” He was later told by Mr Thomas Burke, of the State Department, that whatever contract was made no injustice would he allowed to prevail. Mr Coates declared that the way in which requests were met gave an indication of the latent driving force in the country, but the difficulties of fulfilment were realised and explained. AMERICA’S ENTRY INTO WAR. Ho had discussed war problems with various people, and at conferences had had an opportunity of testing the feeling of important cross sections of the community. At one of these ho had been told that it would take more than Hitler’s threats to get the United States into the war, hut a violation of the Monroe Doctrine might wake America up and bring her in.

PITFALLS IN LEASE-LEND, Touching upon how the lease-lend might apply to New Zealand, Air Coates admitted there may; be pitfalls, hut these might he avoided if it wore remembered that we should not procure from the United States anything we could do without. The Dominion should keep to the principles behind the generous United States offers, which meant that there could ho no re-export to any other country, other than for war purposes, of goods made from lease-lend materials, and that there could be no profit made where lease-lend materials were involved. “ I feel sure,” he said, “ that if the manufacturers and importers of (this

country will get going as a team and give a lead, nine-tenths of the trouble will be past. The Government should not be interested except in the role of an investigator to see that there is no individual profit. “ It is ray opinion, and the opinion of tlie Government, that there is no need to go to extremes in controlling the operations of the Act,” Mr Coates stated. “ Some arrangements must be in the hands of the Government—transport from overseas, for instance—but once supplies have been landed the existing channels of distribution should be used. Where services are already available it is the general desire that these services should be utilised so that the normal routine of the people should not be upset in

any way. The one pitfall than the greatest care should be taken to avoid is that of individual profit. That is a duty we, as citizens of this country, owe to the' citizens of the United States.” Mr Coates concluded his remarks oh. the lease-lend by issuing an appeal for the fullest possible measure of co-opera-tion and co-ordination on the part of all manufacturers. There would he no need to worry about dollar require-, ments. there would he no need to worry about essential war supplies, there would be no need to worry about the normal servicing of the Dominion, if cooperation and co-ordination were the dominating influences. The “ sticiky patches,” which .there were bound to be, would be overcome.