INCREASES URGED

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20184, 29 February 1940, Page 6

INCREASES URGED

BRITAIN’S FOOD HOME PRODUCTION APPEAL TO FARMERS ■ PLOUGHING CAMPAIGN EXTRA 2,000,000 ACRES (Elec. Tot. Copyright—United Press Assn.) (liritish Official Wireless.) Reed. 1.30 p.m. RUGBY, Feb. 28. The importance of agriculture in the national war effort was stressed Dy both the Prime Minister. Mr. Neville Chamberlain and Mr. D. Lloyd George, M.P., in speeches to-day. The Prime Minister was addressing a gathering of agricultural representatives in connection with the Government's campaign for ploughing 2.000,000 extra acres and he urged farmers to make a supreme effort, despite the delays imposed earlier in the year by the adverse weather, to bring the campaign to a successful conclusion. lie gave an assurance that the War Cabinet was behind the farmers and intended to see that the necessary steps were taken so that the crops would be harvested. In the opinion of the Government, the issue of the war depended just as much on the production of more food as on the more conspicuous exploits of the fighting men on sea, land, and in the air. Shipping Space Stressing the need to produce more food at home to leave shipping space at a time when the country was being turned into a great armament workshop needing quantities of raw materials, he referred to the enemy action and said that the British shipping losses, although substantial, bore only a trifling proportion of ihe whole volume of shipping. The convoy system, under which they were bringing safely to United Kingdom ports not only British ships but neutrals, necessarily slowed down the rate at which they could make the round voyages and that represented a certain loss in the total capacity which they must compensate by cutting many peacetime imports. Mr. Lloyd George, in his speech, which was given at a luncheon organised by the National Defence Public Interest Committee, urged that efforts be made to ensure greater home production of foodstuffs After pointing out that the advantage of a democracy over a totalitarian country was constructive criticism he said: “On at least onevital front in my judgment we are not fully prepared and that is' food supplies. In the last war Germany overlooked the vital importance or food supplies, with the result that she was starved into surrender.” Regarding the war Mr. Lloyd George said: “Our cause is just. We are fighting for international right ”