MISSION TO THE UNITED STATES

Waikato Times, Volume 128, Issue 21415, 8 May 1941, Page 6

MISSION TO THE UNITED STATES

New Zealand’s most urgent requirements are the means of prosecuting the war successfully and markets for her surplus products. Therefore the announcement that the Hon. F. Langstone and the Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates are to go to the United States with those two objectives in view has been received with widespread interest. What encouragement New Zealand has been offered to send the mission is not known publicly, but the public has the strong conviction that it should be possible substantially to improve the economic relations between the Dominion and the United States, especially in view of developments following the passing of the Lend and Lease Act at Washington. It is clear that by the operation of that Act the United States has to some extent supplanted New Zealand and Australia in the markets of the United Kingdom. That position has been accepted without complaint because the people of New Zealand know full well that Britain is fighting for its existence and must take advantage of supplies of war materials and foods where they are most readily available. British ships can make two or three voyages to the United States while they would be making one to New Zealand, and that is a matter that Britain could not afford to ignore. And it was only natural that the United States should seek some return in trade for the sacrifices she is making to assist Britain. But if the United States is sending a large volume of supplies across the Atlantic, that should create a vacuum which New Zealand seeks the chance to fill. It should have opened an opportunity for an exchange of goods that might be of great value to the Dominion. New Zealand wants war materials and, if the demand exists in the United States, is in a position to pay for them with large quantities of primary produce. In the past New Zealand has been able to make little progress with trade in the United States, but the war has created an entirely new set of circumstances. The American people are so emphatic that the Allies must win the war that they may now approach the matter from a different angle. In any case, because of vast shipments to Britain the American market should certainly be more favourable to Empire goods.