BRITAIN'S THANKS APPRECIATION OF DOMINION'S

Chronicle (Levin), 27 August 1946, Page 3

BRITAIN'S THANKS APPRECIATION OF DOMINION'S

FOOD CAMPAIGN - WELLINGTON, August -ti. ' ' Wo hupe you will be ihe fororunuers 'oi u regular three-day servico - betweoji lJriuuu and Xow Zoaland witliin ihe nexl dooudo, " said iion. W. Naah dus afternoou iu An* Commodoro N. II. U 'Aoth who is in ohargo of tho Arios mission aud to membcrs of tho crew of tho rocord broaking airoraft, w-hen thoy called ujmn him in Parliament Buildings to presont a lottor from the British Miniatcr of Food, Mr. Stracliey, to tho Now Zoaland Govornmont. Tho lettor cxprossed appreeiation of Now Zoaland 's eil'orts in providing foodstuft's for Britain during her time of ditiioulty. Mr. Nasii apologised for the abseneo of the Prime 2ili)iister, iion. P. Eraser, who was coniinod to his home today ivitli a slight atlaek of iniluenza. ALr. Xash said the coupon saving oampaign in the Dominion had been somewhat ilisappointing at times Jhut that did not imply anything detrimental to the feeling of people in this couutry towafds Britain. It had been occasioned by eonceni felL at tho shipment of some of our produce elsewhero and by conflicting opinions as to shortages in Britain. Mr. Xash said, from his observation, no one in Britain was aetually hungry but the diet'vsas munotonous and for eueh itoms as tomatoes, bananas, and applcs tho people had to quouo up in food lines. Mr. Nash expressed the Government's cougratulations to the crew on the reeord thoy had achieved and said New Zealanders iookod forward to the time when thoy would be only three days' air travol from Britain and 24 hours from the L'niled Htates. He thought tho lattor was a likoly development bocauso he had recently Lravolled from Oalifornia to Now Zoaland in loss tlian 31 hours. Mr. T. N. Bmallwood, chairman of the Xational i'amino Emergoney Committee, said tho publie of Now Zealand had been very respousive to tho appoaJ to help Britain. He stressed tlial the Domiuion 's campaign was not restrioted to coupon savings but included tlie sending of individual pareeis to Britain and tlie drive for increased production in the coming seasou to which farmers wero rosjionding magniiicently. Mr. Nash, speaking again after Mr. Bmallwood, said althougli he knew that ihe i'amine Emergoney Committee did not stress tho souding of food pareeis to Britain, he personally had seen tlxe joy those iiaroels brought into the homes which received them und he believed that joy wus something worth broaking Ihe rules of equity for. Air Commodoro D'Aetli said the time | for tho lliglit oould have been reduced j somewhat had the weather beon better. He said it had beon plunned six months ago to ari'ivo in New Zoaland on August 24 and that had beon dono. The crew had not been handpiekod. It was simply an oxpanded crew selected at the Empire Air Navigation School, to wliich had been added three instructors who would give leetures to R.N.Z.A.F. personnel while the Aries was in New Zealand. Eeferring to Now Zoaland 's co-operation, ^Vir Cormnodore D'Aetli mCntioned that at the Wanganui Ilotel j where they had luncliod yeslerday, they j had been told eoupous were not re- ! quired from them becausc members of ! the hotel stafli had contributed coupons to provide for the visitors' meal. Tlie real purpose of the fiight had not been to break the record but to cement relations between Britain and New Zea- ' land. Those relations he found were al- ! ready so strong that from that view- ; point their mission was really unnecessarv.