ASSISTANCE BY BRAZIL

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 7, Issue 14, 12 October 1943, Page 6

ASSISTANCE BY BRAZIL

GREAT RESOURCES AT ALLIES'

DISPOSAL

"itf Brazil can in any way help the French at this momentous period in their history, avc Brazilians shall feel our country i.s in .some measure repaying a debt to her elder sister," said Vasco da Cunha, Brazilian representative, Avho later is going to set up permanent headquarters in Lisbon, as Ave sat talking on the sunlit, verandah of his hotel looking over the throbbing Port of Algiers,, Avrites a stall' correspondent of the Christian Science Monitor. Brazil's debt to France is a cultural one, he explained. "But it is not forgotten. One of the reasons 1 came here on March 7 on the way to the Brazilian Embassy in Lisbon AA'as to sec Avhether Brazil's particular understanding of friendship Avith, both the United States and France coukl be of any assistance to either or both just now. "Il find, hoAveA'cr," Senor da Cunha Avent on, "that the understanding between the United States, France and Britain in this theatre of the Avar is yielding such results that there is nothing for my country to contribute beyond Avhat is required of it as an ally in the tight to the finish with the Axis. These, requirements at present are mainly in the field of production—agricultural, mineral and industrial. Selfish Line Decried "The Avorld is becoming too small lor 'its future problems to be solved by selfish national lines," Senor da Cunha declared. In this difficult period, both for France and its allies, Brazil is anxious to lend any possible assistance. With this end in A r iew., it is Senor da Cunha's suggestion that Brazilian consulates should be established in Tunis and Morocco, as well as the one ill ready set up in Algiers. Now Brazil is bringing into the war i'or the benefit.of its allies and itself its great potential of resources. Its main contribution at present 'is its economic mobilisation and. the great strategic benefit of Brazil's proximity to the European theatre. Brazil is rich in the allimportant "strategic" Avar minerals such as iron, manganese, rock -crystal, beryllium, mica, lead, zinc, zirconium, titanium, chromium, bauxite, alumina and tungsten. Brazil is stepping up its production generally to swell the pool of Allied resources available for allocation regarding the needs of A'arious Allies in their collective individual pro* secution of. the. Avar.

Already through Allied distributive machinery, much needed rice and cotton goods have arrived from Brazil. The main take-off point of the Americas for the Meiterranean zone is Natal, only some 1800 miles- from Bathurst in West Africa. Tlvis has meant a great deal to the Allied lines of aircraft supply right across Africa to the Middle East since Brazil's entry into the war on August 22, 1942. The size of Brazil's standing Army is to be doubled and /sts Navy arid Air Force have been doing important work on anti-subma-rine. patrols between the Brazilian East Coast and the West Coast of Africa.