AID TO RUSSIA

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20637, 18 August 1941, Page 7

AID TO RUSSIA

BRITAIN AND AMERICA MOSCOW CONFERENCE OFFER TO STALIN (Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, this day. The acting-Prime Minister, the Hon. W. Nash, announced to-day that President Roosevelt and Mr. Winston Churchill at their recent conference agreed upon a joint message to M. Stalin. The text of the joint message was as follows: — “We have taken the opportunity afforded by consideration of the report of Mr. Harry Hopkins on his return from Moscow to consult together as to how best our two countries can help your country in the splendid defence you are making against the Nazi attack. We at the moment are cooperating to provide you with the very maximum of supplies you most urgently need. Many shiploads have left , our shores, and more will leave in the immediate future. “The needs 'and demands of your and pui* armed services can only be determined in the light of full knowledge of the many factors, which must be taken into consideration in the conjectures that we make. In order that all of us may be'in a position to arrive at speedy decisions as to the appointment of our joint resources we suggest we prepare for a meeting to be held in Moscow to which we would send high representatives who could discuss these matters directly with you. If this conference appeals to you, we want you to know that pending the decisions oi that conference we shall continue to send supplies and material as rapidly as possible. “We must now turn our minds to consideration of a more long-term policy, since there is still a long and hard path to be traversed before there can be won that complete victory without which our war efforts and sacrifices would be wasted. -The war goes on upon many fronts and before it is over there may yet be further fighting on fronts that will be developed. Our resources, though immense, are limited and it must become a question as to where and when those resources can best be used to further the extent of our common effort. This applies equally to manufactured war. supplies and raw materials. “We realise fully how vitally important to defeat Hitlerism is the brave, steadfact resistance of the Soviet Union, and we feel, therefore, that we must not in any circumstances fail to act quickly and immediately in this matter of planning the programme for the future allocation of I our joint resources.”