Mr. Nash Answers Appeal Questions

Chronicle (Levin), 17 May 1948, Page 2

Mr. Nash Answers Appeal Questions

press Association)

. (Per

WELLINGTON, Alay 16. Questions which have presented themselves in the pubiio mimi siuce the opening of the appeal for Umted Nations ' Fund for Children were put I by Major Ueneral H. K. Kippenberger; to the Minister of Finance, Alr. Nash, i in a radio discussion tonight and . answered by Mr. Nash. Summarised, the points made by Mr. Nash in his answers were: — Money made available for the fund wiil be used in the main to purchase j supplies within New Zealand. The effort would not interfere with the Aid for Britain campaign. The food -could be got away. ! Mr. Nash said £he countries to which the supplies would go must themselves provide vegetables to supplemeut the lood sent tnem. There would be no discrimination ou the grounds of race or beliefs. Re tliought some preference might be given to countries which had been victims of aggression but ihai was not the liiuit. Later aid would probably be given to Southeast Asian countries and plans were boing prepared. The money raisel would be spciit to the greatest possible exlent 111 New Zealand. He asked the people to naike some personal sacriiice by redueing their own consuinptlon a little so that more food would be available where most needed. What i'unds could not l e spent here would be con.vert.ed into sterling and where the goods wanted were, they would be bouglit. it was hoped to raise at least £500,000 iu New Zealand. The committoe was already coinmitted to an expeuditure on 25.000,000 capsules of (ish liver oil which was oue of the best protectives against . tuberculosis, aml evaporated miiK would also be amoug the purchuses. lt liad been arranged with Britain, without- interfering with tier needs, to supply tinned niilk. There would be no interfereuce with the Aid for Britaiu fund. The people would be disturbed if this were the case. He did not think anv child in Britain would go short as the result ot the activities of the children V fund. New . Zealand was sending all her exportable butter, che'ese and meat to Britain and headquarters of the fund ac'cepted that position but had asked if whale meat could be sent. Britain did uot waiit whale meat aud consideratiou had been given here to purchasing some for the purposes of the fund. There would be some difiiculty about shippiug but not tnuch, becaase in the main what supplies would be sent would uot require refrigerated space which was

sliort. There was an arrangement with j Britain that she send ships for all the | food New Zealand could supply. There would be other space than refrigerated available on such ships. Nothing had eonvinced the committee or Grovettiment that all supplies which could be purchased here could not be got away, that wliat "had to be bouglit elsewhere would be prudeutly managed, ; aud the supplies themselves would reach the children who needed theni. They could get a little more help in the spirit of the fund to the extent that people produced more goods and food. By producing more they would be doiug what was best for Britain, for the children in the needy countries, and for themselves. Uniess healtliy children were built up everywliere then a nienace would arise later. They wanted the children of other races to be stroug and individualised. He was sure that if the people realised the importance oi this to the future of the world they would get behind the appeal. The personuel of United Nations' staff at Lake Buceess, New York, would see that the fund was wisely administered. Major Heneral Kippenberger said, at the conclusion, that ' he was satisiied with what the Minister had said. Ile felt that everyone who had heard the answers would be too. Ou the uight of the opening of the Battle of Alamein, when the New Zealand infautry was going forward, he was with Geueral Freyberg watching them. Geueral Freyberg remarlted then: "If ever there was a just cause ..." It seemed to him, said Major Geueral Kippenberger, that the saine applied to the fund to aid the children. The purpose was the same, a duty to defeat the powers of evil and make a future for the children. That, after all, was what they had fought ior. Mr. Nash said all the money collected •would go to the fund. None would be used for the expenses of the campaign in New Zealand. Parliament had granted a sum to cover this cost. The children required food, clothing, medical care, education and institutional treatmeut. Their needs were unlimited but food was the top priority. Tlie- children must be kept alive and protected against starvation and malnutrition but there were other needs which luust be attended to if there w&s sufficient money. Some children were dying of cold because of a lack of clothing. The fund had been established at th« same tinie as United Nations decided to appehl to the world for iihancial assistance to save the children. An appeal was made to Governments and as the result of money made available by theni from Unrra and other sources, a start was made last year. Four million children were getting a supplementarv meal daily. The executive board controliing the fund comprised representatives of 26 nations which considered the applica lions for assistance. The applicant countries had to give detailed plans of their requirements. The policv was that the food supplied was to be used as far as possible for group feeding. There, was a representative of the fund in the countries which were assisted, to maiiitain eontact witli the Government eon-

cerned and to see that relief was given in the way laid down by the fund's policv. — ■