VITAL TRANSACTIONS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 79, 7 January 1944, Page 5

VITAL TRANSACTIONS

ALLIED WAR MATERIALS ißec. 10.45 a.m.) Rugby. Jan. 6 A wealth of detail about the vital United Nations’ war transactions is contained in the latest United States lendlease report. The cost of lend-lease aid from March, 1941. to the end of November last was 13.5 per cent, of all United Slates’ 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 of the United Nations’ strategy. Their peoples raise most of the food they eat. but lend-lease supplies have been an essential supplement to 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 upward trend has been due in a large part to a sharp rise in aircraft, ordnance and other munitions transferred. Munitions were 61 per cent, of the first eleven months in 1943. “Rental and the charter of ships and ferrying of aircraft were the most important services, being over half the value of all services. Much of the balance consisted of training combat pilots, repairing warships and merchantmen. assembling aircraft abroad and similar war services. Over 600.000,000 dollars have been expended on guns, aeroplanes and other war production facilities in the United States. This represents a substantial addition to our own industrial capacity. These plants have not been transferred to foreign Governments. Some are producing munitions for our armed forces. “Our Allies have been able to strike more damaging blows and are fighting more strongly than ever by the side of our own forces. The war will be much shorter for it. This, of course, is the principal war benefit the United States receives under the lend-lease programme. “In addition, 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 dollars, and India 57,000,000 dollars. The figures do not include supplies and services to United States forces in North Africa, Sicily, Italy and elsewhere. Similar aid is 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.” A*D FROM ALLIES “Similar arrangements,” states the report, “are under negotiation with South Africa and Australia. British shipping to carry these supplies which include such strategical materials as rubber, rope fibre, chrome, cocoa, tea and oils, is also under reverse lendlease. The French have similarly undertaken to supply strategical materials in North Africa. “We are also receiving reverse aid as the need arises in China and the Soviet Union. Both have had to strain their own manpower, transportation and other resources to the utmost in fighting our enemies on their soil and have not been in a position to provide large amounts of aid. The real measure of aid we and other United Nations have received in China is the six and a-half years during- which our indomitable ally engaged the Japanese armies with ever-increasing losses to the Japanese. The real measure of aid we and the other United Nations have received from the Soviet people is to be found in Stalingrad, Kharkov and Kiev and in the millions of Nazi soldiers killed, wounded and captured who will not be able to oppose our forces in western Europe. “And so with all our fighting Allies—the British, whose forces fought the Mediterranean campaign, considerably larger than our own, and the French, who fought with us in Tunisia and who a/, fighting now not only in Italy but as a heroic army of underground resistance in France itself. “The money cost of reverse aid is great. The principal Allies have contributed fully in proportion to their resources. The total United States war expenditures, including lend-lease, have increased from one-third last year to one-half this year of the national income.” SHIPMENTS TO SOVIET The report continues: “Shipments to the Soviet Union have been over a quarter of lend-lease exports to all countries. In the first ten months of this year shipments were 63 per cent, higher than the whole of 1942. In October we sent the Soviet nearly 7000 planes—more than any other lend-lease country—over 3500 tanks, 795,000 motor vehicles, including trucks, jeeps and motor cycles. We have also shipped 1,790,000 tons of food and agricultural products. These have been largely items in which production has fallen far short of requirements, including wheat, flour, sugar, canned meat, edible fats and oils, dried fruits and vegetables. The Soviet urgently requested

butler for the Army, particularly for many wounded soldiers recuperating in hospitals. We were able to send 33.400 tons. No butter has been scheduled in lend-lease export to any other country. The United States received as reverse lend-lease 8250 tons of butter from Australia and New Zealand for the Pacific forces.”