Fantastic Story About N.Z. Airfields

Manawatu Times, Volume 68, Issue 55, 6 March 1943, Page 5

Fantastic Story About N.Z. Airfields

Misuse of Lease-Lend Suggested (By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright.) Received Friday, 11.35 p.m. NEW YORK, Mar. 4. Headed “Hello, Suckers,” the Chicago Tribune editorial says there is a strong air of the fantastic about New Zealand airports which Mr. Melvin J. Maas described to congress, some of which arc of no military use. The New Zealanders had seized the opportunity of building every field they could possibly put to peacetime use with the entire cost, whether useful to the American troops or not, charged to United States under reverse lend-lease. The fields are not being used by American commercial airlines but are being used by a British airline furnished with American planes and American gasolene throilgh lend-lease. This itself is a circumstance requiring investigation. The editorial continued: “After the last war there was a persistent rumour that the French actually charged United States rent for the trenches in which members of the First A.E.F. fought and died. The fiction appears to have come to the attention of the New Zealand Government which found it not illogical. We sent troops and planes to defend New Zealand and we are expected to pay the New Zealanders directly or indirectly for the fields from which they operate. Hon. W. Nash suggests that a reciprocal arrangement may be worked out after the war. Apparently We will be allowed to use the airports wo have paid for in New Zealand if we allow the rest of the world to use United States airports. That sort of thing is simply unbelievable if the conduct of our affairs is in the hands of rational men. The incident leaves little doubt as to the greeting, diplomatically left unspoken, which our delegation will receive at the peace conference. It will be “Hello, Suckers.” New Zealand’s record bears its own testimony as to whether or not tRe Americans are suckers, said Hon. W. Nash in Washington, when commenting on the Chicago Tribune’s editorial. He added that New Zealand was not out to get anything but was out to give. New Zealand was co-operating as a united nation so that the conflict in which all those nations were involved, would be correctly solved.