BRITISH FOOD RESERVES

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19597, 31 March 1938, Page 5

BRITISH FOOD RESERVES

PLANS FOR WARTIME PROBLEM OF SHIPPING LONDON, March 24. Mr. Philip Haldin, chairman of the Lamport Holt Line, asserted to-day that Great Britain must have six months’ food reserves, and that the Government should act immediately. “Totalitarian countries with fouryear or five-year plans,” he declared, “would have no use for neutral shipping, and therefore sufficient freight would be available. We would avoid extortionate shipping charges if we had six months’ reserve of grain.” Mr. Haldin’s speech is an indication that the Empire, in the event of another war, Is unlikely to be faced with a shortage of tonnage, which drove Australia to purchase the Commonwealth Line. On the contrary, Mr. Haldin maintains that there are too many ships available for the trade offering. Those advocating a vast mercantile marine to safeguard Great Britain against starvation in wartime do not realise the facts. It is' far better to use the present unique opportunity of low freights and reasonable wheat prices to lay in six months’ stocks of food. Britain would then be able to negotiate for neutral shipping services at equitable rates in the event of war. Mr. Haldin also pointed out that the present outlook for freights was gloomy owing to the diminution of American imports of La Plate wheat, the cessation vf Chinese trade, and the slackening of the Russian and Japanese demand for iron ore.