FARM MACHINERY

Evening Star, Issue 25068, 8 January 1944, Page 5

FARM MACHINERY

ALLIES 1 DEBT TO AMERICA

(IRec. 10 a.m.) RUGBY, January 7. The dependence of the United Nations 0 n the United States for farm machinery has been virtually complete, according to the latest United States lend-lease report. The United States has been shipping to Britain in the past two and. a-half years 2-per cent, of United States production of such machinery, with the help of which 8,000,000 acres were brought into form production: Whereas before the war Britain imported 21b of food for every lib she raised, now she raises 21b for every lib imported. ~ Bombers take off from the long level fields which four years ago were among the best farms. New acreage had to be created from marshes and hammered out of the rough soil and hills of the westorir countries. These marginal lands could not be drained, clearedj and converted to food production without the heavy type of farm power available only in America. United States troops in Australia' and New Zealand are being fed almost entirely locally under lend-lease, which would have been virtually impossible without United States farm machinery. The United States sent over 1,000,000 dollars worth of machinery to India to assist that country to meet critical food shortages. Smaller amounts have been sent to North Africa and the Middle East. North Africa is now producing food, not only for its own population, but for the armed forces and Southern Italy.' Hundreds of. thousands of tons of shipping- space have been saved by the increases .in food production achieved by countries in the Middle East..