BRITAIN’S FOOD STOCKS

Greymouth Evening Star, 22 March 1945, Page 5

BRITAIN’S FOOD STOCKS

MR. CHURCHILL’S DISCLOSURE

“NO MORE THAN NECESSARY”

RUGBY, March 21. Mr.. Churchill was asked in the Commons whether there were any security reason why the figures of food stocks held in Britain under the Ministry of Food should 'not be made public. The Prime Minister replied: “In the earlier years of the war. there was very good reason oh security grounds against disclosing ■ our food stock figures. In view of the present military position, that objection no longer holds. I read in the newspapers there is an impression in some quarters. in America that our food stocks in Britain amount to seven hundred million tons. Actually they are now rather less than six million tons, and in process of being reduced by aid to libertaed countries to about four and three-quarters million by the end of June. This latter figure is no more than necessary to maintain the regular flow of distribution in the present conditions.” Mr. Churchill said that different part of Europe might be faced with varying degrees of famine—in some cases total famine—this coming Winter and that was the reason lor accelerating the military operations with the utmost intensity possible. australianassistance.

CANBERRA, March 21. Australia may reduce her meat ration to help avert the threatened cut in Britain’s ration, is was stated officially to-day. A spokesman said it was hoped this would influence the United States to make a further reduction in the American ration, which would ensure the maintenance of Britain’s ration at the present level. It is understood that Britain has asked Australia to make a 5 per cent, cut in her ration, which will mean a saving of 25,000 tons a year. Officials of the Department of Commerce and Agriculture said Britain would receive very little more meat if the Australian . civilian ration were cut another 5 or 10 per cent. They revealed that recent Australian meat shipments had gone to 20 major world ports—the largest number in the history of the meat industry. Supplies had also gone to Allied forces on the Western Front. Officials said Australia’s meat export surplus was greater now than before the war, but that heavy service requirements reduced the quantity reaching British civilians. After addresses by Mr. W. Bankes Amery, leader of the British Food Mission, and Mr. A. C. Fisken, Chairman of the Australian Meat Board, the Victorian Chamber of Agriculture, at a convention to-day, decided to advise an immediate cut of 20 per cent, in Australia’s meat ration, the amount of meat saved to be sent to Britain. “This will be your contribution towards the stabilisation of a wardevastated world,” said Mr. Amery. “At present there is not enough food in the world. Hunger is the most potent cause of revolution. Revolution has a habit of spreading far outside the areas where it arises. Primary producers of the world have in their hands the means of averting the possibility of world revolution. Let your motto for 1945 be, ‘Feed the world.’ ” NEW ZEALAND’S AID. WELLINGTON, March 21. “If the people of Britain are likely to have their health affected by lack of meat, and also by the possible reduction of their present ration, I am certain that there is no step New Zealand would not take for the purpose of getting larger quantities of meat away from here.” This comment was made by the Deputy-Prime Minister (Mr. Nash) last evening, when he was asked what the Government’s attitude would be in the event of Britain asking for increased exports of meat from New Zealand as a consequence of the reduction of American lend-lease supplies. “You have had a cut in your sugar, and I would not be surprised if the meat ration -were to be reduced soon,” said Mr. J. Thorn, M.P. for Thames, speaking to local supporters. “UNNRA is getting into its stride, and who among us could complain?”