CANADIAN MUTUAL AID

New Zealand Herald, Volume 81, Issue 24846, 18 March 1944, Page 6

CANADIAN MUTUAL AID

An exceptionally broad and generous view of debts incurred in wartime is taken by Canada under her system of mutual aid agreements. The Prime Minister, Mr. Mackenzie King, states his Government's view that the accumulation of large war debts is contrary to the public interest. His attitude is not only statesmanlike but also practical, as everyone will agree, remembering the deep rifts in international relations that opened after the last war from the payment or non-payment of war debts. Under the new Canadian agreement, no indeterminate obligation will be created which at the end of the war would have to be settled by negotiation. This is a distinct advance on the lend-lease arrangement which provides for settlement on such terms as the Pi-esident of the United States may deem satisfactory. Some concern has already been expressed in New Zealand at these indefinite terms, especially as the Dominion is receiving lend-lease goods at inflated current values and supplying reverse lendlease commodities at little moie than pre-war prices. The Canadian form of mutual aid agreement disposes of any such apprehensions for the future. So far Canada has signed agreements with Britain, Russia and Australia and others are in of negotiation with China and the French Committee of National Liberation. Australia will receive wartime supplies valued at 85,000,000 dollars, including motor vehicles, ammunition, aircraft, spare parts and chemical materials. There is no mention of New Zealand participating in this scheme of mutual aid. Perhaps that is not surprising when it is remembered that she has had no representative in Ottawa for 17 months. Mr. Fraser accepted Mr. Langstone's resignation as High Commissioner for New Zealand in Canada on October 13, 1942, and the post has been allowed to remain vacant ever since.