LEND-LEASE TO CONTINUE

Southland Times, Issue 25546, 14 December 1944, Page 4

LEND-LEASE TO CONTINUE

arrangements with UNITED STATES

(P.A.) WELLINGTON, December 13. A statement was made during the sitting of the House of Representatives by the Minister of Finance, Mr Nash, on the discussions and negotiations which have been taking place in the last few weeks in Washington between the British mission and the United States Admininstration on the manner in which the joint resources might be best used for the continuation of the war against Japan after the defeat of Germany. New Zealand. was represented at the discussion by the Minister of Supply, Mr Sullivan, and the New Zealand Minister in Washington, Mr C. A. Berendsen.

Mr Nash said a programme of LendLease aid for the future needs of New Zealand had been planned and New Zealand had agreed to continue to furnish the American forces with supplies, mostly foodstuffs, within her capacity. It was hoped that after the defeat of Germany it would be possible for the Dominion to step up civilian production and also to increase the imports of civilian goods. DOMINION’S CONTRIBUTION Mr Nash also referred to the seventeenth report to Congress on LendLease operations, which showed that reverse Lend-Lease aid furnished to the United States by the British Commonwealth amounted, at June 30, to 3,348,127,000 dollars, of which New Zealand’s share was 131,179,000 dollars. (About £40,000,000). Mr Nash said the report showed that the United States had benefited greatly from Lend-Lease, but.we had benefited still more, and in a far greater sense, from the total fighting effort of the Americans.