The Dominion THURSDAY, JULY 30, 1942. UNDER THE LEASE-LEND SCHEME

Dominion, Volume 35, Issue 258, 30 July 1942, Page 4

The Dominion THURSDAY, JULY 30, 1942. UNDER THE LEASE-LEND SCHEME

One of the purposes of the Prime Minister’s visit to the Commonwealth, it has been stated, is to study the operations of the American lease-lend plan. Both Australia and New Zealand come within the scope .of the scheme, and there is a. general idea of its aims in giving effect to the President’s declaration that the United States would be the arsenal of the democracies. No doubt there are many matters of procedure, and of a technical nature, that have to be mastered. . , . It is, of course, a two-way plan and spokesmen in Washington have stated that in many ways the British and Dominion Governments are rendering that country assistance under its terms.. Mi. Nash in a recent statement on the subject said that the Dominions would “do their full part to supply all the necessities in their power for the American forces,” and a member of the Australian Cabinet has stated that, by supplying the American units there with foodstuffs and certain supplies, shipping space had been released for ’"crease deliveries of arms and munitions from the United States. I resumably those supplies would come within the scope of the plan. Where there is the greatest degree of uncertainty, among the community, with regard to the lease-lend operations as far at east as they concern this country, is in the character of the liability ’"vojY*l- - what exact basis are arms, munitions and many other things eitne leased or lent? The sums represented do not enter into the.budgetaiy figures here any more than they do in Britain. . Commenting on the British expenditure in 1941-42 the Economist said: On the expend ture side the Chancellor’s Budget estimates expressly excluded al expenditure in North America,” and the lease-lend transactions could not have been included in the British external. debt figures for they showed a very small increase last year. Operations under this unique scheme, it has been reported, already run into many hundreds o millions of pounds, and this country has been one of the many that have been assisted. As providing some offset to whatever liability may have been incurred there is Mr. Nash’s statement that New Zealand will do its full part by supplying, as far as it can, things requited bv American forces. ~ . . , It is most likely that there will be a substantial balance against the Dominion and some information regarding that aspect would be of interest and value. Then, apparently, no small portion of the supplies shipped to Great Britain und ? r the lease-lend plan is consumable goods, and they could hardly be either leased or lent. What is the basis for dealing with transactions of that kind? It is known that New Zealand, and probably most of the Empire self-governing units, have benefited by the assistance afforded by the United States under this extensive scheme, but the people have not been told what it connotes financially. If Mr. Fraser’s visit to Australia should determine matters of procedure then the way should have been clearer for a comprehensive explanatory statement of how—even if it were not deemed advisable at this stage.to make public to what extent—this assistance is afforded and the liability it carries.