SPECIAL REPORT

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 77, 24 January 1942, Page 4

SPECIAL REPORT

BY LEADER OF OPPOSITION CONSIDERED BY WAR CABINET IMR HOLLAND ATTENDS MEETING Wellington, This Day. Following his recent correspondence j with the Prime Minister, Mr Fraser, the Leader of the Opposition, Mr Holland. attended a meeting of the War Cabinet yesterday at the invitation of Mr Fraser and placed before it a com. prehensivc memorandum dealing with various aspects of the war effort. When asked subsequently if the memorandum could be published, Mr Holland said that at the request of the Prime Minisj tei he had agreed to withhold publica--1 lion for a few days to enable members | of the War Cabinet to have an oppor- | tunity of considering it. The Prime Minister said last night : lliat if any of Mr Holland's proposals would improve our war effort, even in ] the smallest degree, then they would be adopted. Mr Holland said in an interview last evening that he had completed his memorandum, which covered a wide lange of subjects and ran into 15 pages of typewritten foolscap paper. He had presented it to the Prime Minister himself yesterday morning, and at his reouest had attended a meeting of memj bers of the War Cabinet at which the I matters he had raised were discussed with them for two and a half hours. The Prime Minister, said Mr Holland, had expressed pleasure at the epportunity of discussing his memorandum with him, and had thanked him on behalf of the War Cabinet and the Government for the proposals he had submitted and the comments offered. "1 submitted concrete proposals.” said Mr Holland, "with the object of bringing about a much more effective war effort in this country.” Mr Holland expressed appreciation of the manner in which he had been received by the Prime Minister and the War Cabinet. He hoped that his representations would result in an improvement in a number of directions where public apprehension had been expressed. TO BE EXAMINED BY SERVICE CHIEFS "If any of the proposals contained in Mr Holland’s memorandum will improve our war effort even in the smallest degree, they will be adopted,” said the Prime Minister, Mr Fraser, when referring in an interview to the memorandum submitted to the War Cabinet by the Leader of the Opposition. Mr , Fraser added that till there had been an examination and analysis of the j memorandum it was not possible to say how much of practical utility it contained. I "Mr Holland accepted my invitation to meet the War Cabinet and we ( had a discussion on some of the points ir his memorandum,” said Mr Fraser. "Many of the matters raised will, of course, have to be submitted to the ser- ; vice chiefs and others in positions cl { responsibility for their comments be- ] fore the War Cabinet can give an opin- : ion on them. In these circumstances ! it is necessary that the publication of I the memorandum should be postponed I till those concerned with the adminis- ! tration of the various defence operalions are consulted and their opinions | obtained. “Mr Holland made certain suggestions, the merits and practicability of which will be closely examined. The discussion at the War Cabinet was of a most helpful nature, and I personally expressed by indebtedness to Mr Holland for his observations and his general report.”—P.A.