MEETING OF WAR COUNCIL

Southland Times, Issue 24422, 30 April 1941, Page 4

MEETING OF WAR COUNCIL

APPROVAL OF EXPEDITION TO GREECE

(P.A.) WELLINGTON, April 29. , A meeting of the War Council was held yesterday, said the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. P. Fraser, in a statement tonight. It was attended by members of the War Cabinet, other Ministers of the Crown, and Messrs L. G. Lowry, M.P., H. Atmore, M.P., E. T. Tirikatene, R. Eddy, A. McLagan, C. C. Davis (Christchurch), W. W. Mulholland and the Hon. W. Perry. A statement of the circumstances leading up to the Government’s decision to despatch the New Zealand Divi- ; sion to Greece in company with Australian and British troops was made to the council by the Prime Minister and the following resolution was passed unanimously:— “That this council, having heard the statement of the Prime Minister detailing the events which led up to the Government agreeing to our troops taking part in the operations in Greece, expresses its full support of the decision of the Government, which was arrived at after very abl and accurate appreciation of the situation.” . The council was informed of the I present position of the supply of oil I fuel and the following is the text of a I resolution which was passed: “That the War Council welcomes the agreement reached with representatives of the motor industry, industrial, agricultural and other interested organizations referred to by the Minister of Supply in his statement of April 28 about the necessity in the national interest of further reducing the consumption of petrol. The War Council strongly urges all State and local body services and all other sections of the motoring public, both commercial and private, to provide for the maximum conservation and minimum use of petrol. As a means of assisting in doing this, the War Council invites the commercial and industrial committees sc to organize the use of transport as to avoid unnecessary duplication and waste of petrol.” The council also discussed the provision of a convalescent hospital for soldiers returning from service abroad and certain matters dealing with the Home Guard. These two topics are to be further discussed by the Defence and Military Affairs Committee'at its next meeting. A meeting of the Primary and Industrial Production Committee of the War Council will be held tomorrow to discuss fully the position of the cultivation of linen flax in the Dominion