MANPOWER UTILISATION

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 79, 18 April 1944, Page 5

MANPOWER UTILISATION

REFERENCE TO NEW ZEALAND STOUI’ IN AMERICAN PRESS i (Rec. 10.20 a.m.) New York. April 12. } The “Journal American” publishes an International News Service Wash ington dispatch quoting the New Zealand Minister to Washington, Mr Walter j Nash, to the effect that New Zealand I intends to reduce her army similarly to Australia. Mr Nash told the Australian Associated Press representative that the story Was inaccurate but declined to clariry it. The Legation spokesman later admitted that the dispatch had created an embarrassing situation but he did not know if a formal statement would be forthcoming from Mr Nash or from the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. P. Fraser. EXPLANATION BY MR SULLIVAN Wellington, April 17. Commenting on the foregoing message to-night the Acting Prime Minister. the Hon. D. G. Sullivan, made the following explanatory remarks: “The International News Service story was based on remarks I had made setting out our war effort, the losses incurred and manpower utilisation, and stating that as the Japanese had been pushed back we had been able to reduce the number of our garrison troops in the rear Pacific islands. These, with troops not now required for fulltime use in New Zealand were, in accord with the agreed proposals for a controlled diversion of manpower, being transferred for more essential work on food production and Allied occupations.” Mr Sullivan added that in order to enable us to meet the food requirements of the United Kingdom and the arified forces of the United Nations and, indeed. if possible, to increase these vital supplies, steps were being taken as was indicated in the statement made recently by Mr Fraser when he announced certain features of the plan for the dairying industry, to divert a number of men now in the forces for employ- • ment in farming and related industries. This diversion was being made with the concurrence and approval of the responsible authorities in the United Kingdom and the United States.