OPPOSITION SUPPORT

Chronicle (Levin), 6 April 1949, Page 5

OPPOSITION SUPPORT

(N.Z.P.A.-

—Reuter,

Resisting Attempts To Hold Britain To Ransom MEAT TALKS WITH ARGENTINA

Copyright)

Received Wed., 10.5 a.m. LONDON, April 5. Mr. Antho'n.y Eden today pledged the Opposition's full support to the Government in resisting any attempt to hold Britain to ransom in the cur rent Anglo-Argentine meat ne gotiations at Buenos Aires. He was opening the debate in the House of Commons or meat -supplies, and he tolc members that he did not thinl there was any overseas marke from which Britain could ex pect any substantial increasof meat for the Home con sumer. . "Long-term possibilities of supplies from Australia ari the most promising, but in tlK immediate future it does m seem that we ought to look f o any large increase." ' Mr. Eden said that Ne-1. Zealand was making a gallan effort to maintain her supplies, but he did not think-thaf Britain could look for any- j thing more than a modest in-> erea'e from there. Mr. Eden said that Britain's present meat and bacon rati^ was "desperately small ani pitif ully inadequate." The mass of the people were worse off than they were before the war, and worse off than many of their counterparts in other countries in Europe. This was due to a lack oi' foresight in purchasing and the deliberate result of the Government's failure to find feeding supplies for the farmers.