WAR NEWS IN BRIEF

Greymouth Evening Star, 22 July 1943, Page 4

WAR NEWS IN BRIEF

mexicatTtroops NEW YORK, July 21. The Mexican Foreign Minister (Sr. Ezequiel Padilla), in a speech, expressed Mexico's readiness to send troops to the Allied battlefronts if events required it, and if the Mexicans were given means to acquire the necessary equipment . and weapons, says the “New York Times’’ Mexico City correspondent. The correspondent adds that Sr. Padilla’s statement is regarded as an indirect suggestion to the United States to seek Mexico’s direct participation. in the war. Mexican military circles have repeatdly asserted that troops have been training for several njonths to prepare them for overseas service. DEHYDRATED FOOD.

LONDON, July 21. A Ministry of Food official stated that dehydrated cheese, mixed with potato flour, compressed into blocks, is among the new forms of food pul. in battledress for forces. The saving of shipping space last year compared with before war by importing boned, moulded and telescoped carcases of meat totalled forty-one million cubic feet. Import of dried eggs, instead of shell eggs, saved twenty-five million cubic feet. Milk-powder instead of condensed milk, saved one million. This represented 750,000 tons, or seventy-five ten thousand ton ships. Several dehydrated foods can be successfully pressed into blocks. Dried meat has a storage life doubled by compression. Dried carrot, cabbage and potato can be similarly treated. Plans are being formed for importing butter! at should the refrigerated shipping position become more difficult. BRITAIN'S HOUSES RUGBY, July 21. The Ministry of Health estimates post-war housing needs at three to four million dwellings, of which many will be replacements. The Minister, Mr Ernest Brown, at the Building Congress in London, said the task would be tremendous, and he aimed at establishing conditions which would provide an abundant supply of materials for a large building industry composed of firms of varying size, few controls, a reasonable rate of interest, and a joint attack by private enterprise, backed by building societies and local authorities. In partnership with the Government, local authorities would concentrate mainly on slum replacement, and the abatement of overcrowding. All must be ready for an immediate start after the war, and he had asked local authorities to have sites luady for the first year of the programme.

N.Z. AIR BASES

RUGBY, July 21

.How war-time industry and construction were preparing the Empire for great future development, was the theme of a speech at the building Congress in London, by the Dominions Secretary (Mr. Attlee) who said that while most works were primarily for military ends, they might profoundly influence and accelerate peacetime development. Mr. Attlee instanced the air bases built in New Zealand, which would be of the greatest use to civil transport. As air lines were established across the Pacific, New Zealand would occupy an increasingly important place as a main station on the great traffic route. SPAIN AND MEXICO. WASHINGTON, July 21. The Spanish Ambassador has protested strongly to the State Department against a Bastille Day speech broadcast to France by the Mexican Ambassador, Don Francisco Castillo Najera, in which be called Gen~raj Franco a traitor and a puppet. The broadcast was arranged by the United States Office of War Information.

Don Najera was formerly Mexican Minister to France. He is reported to be highlv regarded by the French people. After referring contemptuously to Mussolini, Najera said that Franco was another traitor and a pupnet of the Uhlans. He had caused Spain to fall into the black era of servitude.