The Bay Of Plenty Beacon Published Mondays Wednesdays and Fridays. WEDNESDAY, JULY 17th, 1940. FINANCE AND FOOD

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 2, Issue 187, 17 July 1940, Page 4

The Bay Of Plenty Beacon Published Mondays Wednesdays and Fridays. WEDNESDAY, JULY 17th, 1940. FINANCE AND FOOD

FINANCE and food are perhaps the two main essentials of war, and finance more than any other single item. On that reasoning the people of the British Empire are fully justified in maintaining* their confidence and their absolute belief that in the long run Britain must be victorious, for she: possesses financial resources and food supplies ample to meet her war requirements. With adequate finance she is in a position to purchase foodstuffs and as the command of the sea is still in Britain's hands, the safe transportation of those supplies is assured. In the financial sphere the United Kingdom Government can rely on the full support of the Dominions and that they are ready to make sacrifices in this direction has been abundantly proved. It .has been stated that jjf necessary the colonies will throw in every bit of their wealth and this support is not negligible, New Zealand's public and private wealth alone approximating £1,100;000. 000- Matters are not so well with the enemy. In both Germany and Italy, the former particularly, finances are chaotic. They cannot make .purchases in outside markets because they have not the necessary credits and so they are obliged to resort to the barter system and even this, because their markets are confined to their immediate neighbours on the Continent is made difficult. Apart from that, harvests on the Continent have been below the average this year and none of Germany's erstwhile traders has a, surplus for export. It was the opinion of experts some time ago that Germany would not be able to withstand a seize for more than two years, and although when that opinion was expressed the taking of Denmark, Norway, Holland, Bel gium and Northern France was hot given consideration, the extension of Hitler's domain does not automatically mean an extension of Germany's food' resources. The population of the countries swallowed in the Hun s strained maw have still to be fed and that feeding, though cut down to a minimum will present a problem to Hitler s economic advisersMr. Winston Churchill said in his broadcast on Monday: "We can't starve Germany out, but we can wear her out.' The wearing will include the starving.