The Timaru Herald FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 1940 Britain’s Needs

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLVIII, Issue 21818, 22 November 1940, Page 4

The Timaru Herald FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 1940 Britain’s Needs

IN a luncheon address to the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce iu Christchurch yesterday Sir Harry Batterbee, the British High Commissioner in New Zealand, gave further emphasis to statements which have already been made in the past few days by tlie President of the Board of Trade, Captain Lyttelton, and Lord Stamp, the famous economist. “Empire trade,” said Sir Harry Batterbee, “must take second place to foreign trade.’’ Then he added: “Great Britain hates asking you to make sacrifices, but when you think of the sacrifices that are being made at Home I know I am not appealing to you in vain when I ask you to help by restricting imports from Britain.” In these words Sir Harry Batterbee reinforced the declaration made by Captain Lyttelton last week: “Further restrictions of supplies for home consumption my be announced shortly. Therefore, the Government will not be sympathetic to requests by British exporters for an increase in trade with the Empire. It will be suggested to the Dominions that they could greatly contribute to the joint war effort if they decide to impose restrictions on civilian consumption similar to those effected in the United Kingdom.” There is a tone of unmistakable urgency in these pleas of Captain Lyttelton and Sir Harry Batterbee and it is superfluous to say that they will be heeded by the Government and the people of New Zealand. To be deprived of certain goods will impose some hardship, but the hardship of going without some of the things to which we have been accustomed in exceedingly prosperous days is trifling when compared with the heavy continuous sacrifices now being borne by the people of the United Kingdom. Their standard of life has been reduced to meet the titanic financial demands of war; every hour of the day and night their lives are in peril, but the safety of British people in the Dominions depends upon the maintenance of the physical resolution and the economic resources of the inhabitants of the United Kingdom. Any appeal that the British Government makes in the interests of Great Britain, the keystone of the Imperial arch, has to be answered immediately no matter what the cost may be. In his address Sir Harry Bajterbee said that a life and death struggle is in progress. That is already known, but iu New Zealand it is not easy yet to grasp exactly what this means. That phrase ‘"life and death si niggle” comes easily to our lips in this tranquil part of the world. In New Zealand we have not the appalling evidence that a ruthless and powerful foe is battering at the door. We know Vicariously that this is so, and we know that the war must be won, or we expire as a free people. The reasons why it is necessary for the other parts of the Empire to reduce their demands upon Britain is simple to explain. In the first place foreign trade is of primary importance, since through it the dollar exchange required to purchase war materials from the United States is obtained. In ordinary circumstances the demand for war materials would be high, but Sir Harry Batterbee has said that the situation has been made doubly difficult because of the severe material losses suffered by the British Array in the Dunkirk evacuation. In a general way it is probably true that Britain had to start re-equipping her entire military forces after that disaster. There were two industrial pools from which the new supplies could be got: Britain herself, and then the United States. Captain Lyttelton has shown what the demand on British industry has become by comparing present war conditions with those of 1914-1918. In the Great War, he said, one munitions worker supplied two fighting men with arms and equipment. Now it takes two munitions workers to supply two fighting men. This is the difference mechanised and intensive aerial warfare have made. “That,” he said, in a recent address, “is why we must tighten our belts.” Since the British Empire is a single unit facing the enemy it is plain that the loads of war should be distributed as fairly as circumstances allow. For the present an equal division is impossible; it probably never will be possible, but whatever share is allotted to the Dominions must be carried without complaint. Whatever directions are given from the scene of conflict must be accepted; the British Government knows what the United Kingdom’s requirements are.