ALLIED WAR POOL

Grey River Argus, 20 January 1940, Page 2

ALLIED WAR POOL

MEN, MONEY, MATERIAL

Complete Unification

[British Official Wireless.] RUGBY, January 18,

The French Minister of Armament (M. Dautry) has been in London for consultations with Mr Burgin. Today, the two Ministers received the Press.

Their statements showed that an agreement had been reached on the pool of manufacturing resources, and the practical details had been worked out down to arrangements for inter change Across the Channel of jigs and machine tools.

M. Dautry emphasised that this meeting with Mr Burgin was the occasion for “exchanges of view,” and “establishing identity of outlook.” They were out for action —and they had acted.

“France and England,” he said, “having pooled their military forces, economic wealth and financial means by agreements made by the Premiers and Finance Ministers, Mr Burgin and I have combined our science laboratories, our technical resources, our machines and our labour. All this has been done without a shadow of dis cord and difficulty. There are no longer any secrets or any frontiers between us. Can one under such circumstances speak of collaboration? I should prefer to speak of the FrenchBritish union.” On the conclusion of the talks between M. Dautry and Mr Burgin the following official communique was issued: “The agreements concluded last October between France and Britain, for co-ordination in aid of the economic war effort, anticipated that Ministerial consultations would take place in course of meetings either in Par's or London, during which the Ministers concerned would take any decisions required in connection with the activities of the permanent executive committees established by these agreements, and would give the committees necessary instructions. A’ meeting of the Ministerial Armaments Council has just been held in London. M. Dautry and Mr Burgin examined the progress made by the permanent executive committee for armaments and raw materials, and on its submissions have taken the decisions required in all those spheres in which the two Allied countries are at present collaborating continuously, in order to intensify their common effort on armaments production, and to ensure an adequate supply of raw materials to both France and Britain for this purpose.” BRITAIN’S OVERSEAS TRADE. •4. j [British Official Wireless] RUGBY, January 17. British oversea trade returns indicate that both imports and exports durifag December, not only returned to, but overtook peace-time levels. Ln December, imports totalled £86,582,000 against £83,989.000 in November, and £74,132,000 in December, 1938. Exports totalled £40,169,000 against £37,360,000 in November and £39,099,000 in December. 1938. Re-exports totalled £2,502,000 against £2,745,000 and £4,779,000. respectively. During 1939 imports, which totalled £885,994,000, declined by £33.600,000 or 4 per cent., as compared with 1938, and exports, which totalled £438,800,000, fell by £31,900,000 or 7 per cent., while re-ex-ports, which totalled £45,925,000, fell by £15,600,000 or 25. per'cent. 1. The effect of German attempts to ( destroy British merchant shipping ■ may be judged from the fact that imports in December exceeded in value

those of any month since December, 1937. I*i FRENCH JOURNALISTS IN BRITAIN. RUGBY, January 18. On January 21, eight distinguished French war correspondents attached to the 8.E.F., including the wellknown French writer, M. Andre Maurois, Will arrive in London as

guests of the Ministry of Information, on a visit arranged to afford them an opportunity to observe many aspects of ’ Britain’s war effort-. AUSTRALIAN MUNITIONS. MELBOURNE,. January,'l9. The War Cabinet has approved orders from the British Government for £2,750,000 worth of Australian munitions.