Lend-Lease Report Presented To American Congress

Manawatu Times, Volume 69, Issue 6, 8 January 1944, Page 5

Lend-Lease Report Presented To American Congress

(British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, Jan. 6.

President Roosevelt stated to-day that all the Allied nations were giving what they could for victory when he transmitted to Congress his 30th lendlease report covering the period ending on November 30. The President emphasised that neither lend-lease statistics nor dollar funds of any kind could measure the relative contributions of the nations toward winding up the war. The coming year would be a year of decisive actions in the war.

“By combining their strength the United Nations have increased the power c . their common drive to defeat the Axis,” said President Roosevelt. “We have already beaten back the enemy on every front on which we are engaged. At Teheran and Cairo the plans were agreed on for the major offensives which will speed the day of victory. With the closer unity there achieved we shall be able to strike ever-increasing blows until the unconditional surrender of the Nazis and J apanese. “Mutual aid has contributed substantially to the strength of the United Nations and the flow of lend-lease assistance from the United States to the Allies and reverse J end-lease from the Allies to us has increased the power of our united offensives.”

Mr. Roosevelt added: “Some countries like the United States and Canada, located away from the fighting theatres of war are able to make available to other nations large quantities of food and manufactured arms. Others, like the Soviet Union and China, require virtually everything we can produce to fight the enemy on their own soil. The cost of the war to us and our Allies is high. The more fully we can now mobilise our manpower, supplies, and other resources for the decisive task ahead the lower will he the final cost of victory. The United Nations in the New Year are stronger and more firmly united than ever before. The Germans and Japanese will both soon learn that to their sorrow,” concluded the President.

A wealth of detail about the vital United Nations war transactions was continued in the latest report. The cost of lend-lease aid from March, 1941, to the end of November last was 13.5 per cent, of all United States war expenditure.

The report states: “American food is helping to maintain the rations of the Soviet Army, British soldiers and war workers and others on the front or behind the lines. Lend-lease is an essential element in the United Nations strategy to win, principally with our own weapons. Their factories use principally their own raw material and equipment.

I ‘ ‘ Their peoples raise most of the food they eat, but lend-lease supplies have been an essential supplement of

their own resources. Aeroplanes, guns, raw materials, food and other goods transferred were 87 per cent, of the total aid to date. Transfers of finished munitions were 53 per cent, of the total. Industrial items were 21 per cent, and foodstuffs and other agricultural products 13 per cent, of the total.”

The report continues: “The United States is receiving directly as reverse lend-lease without payment substantial supplies provided by the Allies within the limits of their material and financial resources.

“Up to last June the United Kingdom spent for reverse lend-lease to the United States 871,000,000 dollars, New Zealand 51,000,000, India 57,000,000. The figures did not include supplies and services to the United States forces in North Africa, Italy and elsewhere. Similar aid was being provided by the Belgians and French. “The United Kingdom, New Zealand and India have also agreed to provide without payment raw materials, commodities and foodstuffs previously purchased by the United States in Southern Rhodesia and the Colonial Empire, ’ ’ says the report.