FOOD FOR BRITAIN

Grey River Argus, 6 August 1940, Page 10

FOOD FOR BRITAIN

FARMERS' PRESIDENT'S APPEAL. WELLINGTON, August 4. It was New Zealand’s job to do her bit toward ensuring that food would be available to Britain. There could be no doubt that sooner or later all the food New Zealand could produce would be required, declared the Dominion President of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union (Mr W. W. Mulholland, when addressing the Ma-xara-Hutt Valley provincial executive of the union.

Mr Mulholland dealt with doubts which had been raised in regard to Great Britain’s requirements of food. Bacon and cheese had been mentioned, he said. The reason was that they were most important as soldiers’ rations, and the cutting off of supplies from the Continent had made it necessary for Great Britain to look elsewhere.

Meat and wool were most important for it was highly probable that in the near future Hitler would begin his drive to close British ports and attempt to blockade Britain into submission. If Hitler directed all his force towards attacking food supplies, there was no question that large amounts of food would be destroyed.

New Zealand had to have its stores full so that whatever Britain asked for could be supplied. Just as no

one would suggest New Zealand should not pile up armaments because they might not be needed, it was equally unsafe to advocate that New Zealand should not produce to the limit to avoid my danger of a shortage in food supplies.