Wairarapa Times-Age SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 1941. OUR PART IN THE WAR.

Wairarapa Times-Age, 15 November 1941, Page 4

Wairarapa Times-Age SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 1941. OUR PART IN THE WAR.

VEARLY everyone no doubt will agree that the war effort of this country ought to be the maximum of which, as a people, we are capable. Nevertheless, the question of whether we are nuttino' forth a maximum effort—a question raised pointedly the other day by Mr Leslie Lefeaux, former Governor of the Reserve Bank —can onlv be answered in the negative. It is obvious and undeniable that there is . a considerable margin to be drawn upon before we can claim to be throwing our whole energies into winning the Avar.

There is room and need for a more detailed examination and analysis of the position than Mr Lefeaux made, or could be expected to make, in an Armistice Day acklicss.. In an} case, while there is legitimate scope for individual initiative in directing attention to the lacts of: the position, piactica action directed to a quickening and enlargement of our wareffort must be dependent largely on a purposeful lead by the Government, based on adequate investigation and planning. Even at a superficial view, the need lor action on these lines is established very plainly.

The members of our fighting forces have set and are setting standards second to none and a proportion of those engaged in industry, both primary and secondary, are working intensively and for long hours. Against this, as Air Lefeaux and others have pointed out, a not inconsiderable part of our workingpopulation, in clerical, industrial and other branches, is employed only for a light five-day week, Effort on this scale can hardly be said to correspond with, or to be worthy of, what is demanded of our fighting forces and of what is being endured by our own Mother Country or by‘Russia in her heroic resistance to invasion.

Our relatively favoured situation is due in part to factors for which we have no need to apologise. At the stage to which the war has been carried, the enemy is not physically at our gates. We have not had to endure bombing or bombardment, invasion or the occupation of our territory. It counts for a good deal, too, that New Zealand produces a large surplus of food for export. This being said, however, it is impossible to do anything else than agree unreservedly that there is room for a very considerable intensification and expansion of our Avar effort.

Some of the tilings that might, be done stand out clearly. No one could dream of suggesting, for example, that the volume of our war savings has approached the limits that are desirable. The remedy here is obvious. It is less obvious where an allround expansion of our national war effort is. concerned. Mi Lefeaux, in his address which has been mentioned, said that we could make our maximum contribution to the war effort

by ensuring that, within the limits of a purely war time economy, every fit man of military age is released for active service, that’ to enable this to be done, all the rest of us, men and women, are organised for some essential war service to the extent of our capabilities; that our ordinary peace time consumption of things, including labour, is withdrawn from work which is not essential for war effort; and, finally we now shoulder our fair share of the colossal financial burden of the war. •

These suggestions are in some respects rather sweeping and. in others a little vague. The release forthwith for active service of all fit men of military age, if that is what is suggested, might do more to disorganise industry than to strengthen our wai effort. Account in any case has to be. taken of the factor of equipment—i.e., the amount of military equipment that can be made available in a given time —and also of the possibility that it may be necessary, as the Pacific situation stands, to retain a reasonable proportion of fit men of military age for home defence.

As to industry, too, while it certainly cannot be claimed that our labour “potential” has been brought fully .into operation, there is need of effective productive organisation, dependent largely on the provision of additional machinery, tools and materials which are not easily to be obtained in these days. Everything that can be done should be done, but this, as has been said, implies in the first place planning and organisation, opening the way to a definite and authoritative lead. To that lead, it may be believed, the people of the Dominion would be very willing to respond. uS ■"

Every approach to an improved and expanded war effort should be explored methodically. There is, for example, the question of the quicker turning round of ships. If the mobilisation’ of additional labour would make it possible to load and unload ships more rapidly and so to make a more advantageous use of shipping tonnage, it becomes the plain duty of the Government and other authorities concerned to organise this additional labour force and take whatever attendant measures are necessary.

Then again, there is a good deal of talk of co-operation with Australia, but are we doing all we might to extend this co-operation? Is there labour which cannot be employed in war industry in this country but could be so employed in Australia? Alternatively, could we develop in this country branches of war industry co-ordinated with those that are expanding so remarkably in the Commonwealth?

On these questions and others a definite lead is needed. It is in that way that the slack in our war effort may be taken up so far as industrial production is concerned.