BRITAIN’S GREAT WAR EFFORT

Dominion, Volume 36, Issue 36, 6 November 1942, Page 4

BRITAIN’S GREAT WAR EFFORT

Description By Sir Harry Batterbee PLANNING FOR AFTER THE PEACE Dominion Special Service. CHRISTCHURCH, November 5. “Out of 9,500,000 available women lietween the ages of IS and 61, more than 7,500,000 are doing full-time war jobs,” said the United Kingdom High Commissioner in New Zealand, Sit Harry Batterbee, when describing Britain’s war effort to members of the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce at their annual meeting in Christchurch tonight. “One and a half million are engaged in the manufacture of munitions of war and about 500,000 were taken into munition factories in the first half of this year. “British manpower is stretched to the uttermost, but Britain has n'ot yet reached her peak of production. More and more she is coming to rely driller women to raise armaments production to higher and higher levels. She can claim to lead the world in the utilization of her womanpower. Financial Effort.

“On the financial side, 60 per eent. of the national income is going into tlic war effort. Taxation has reached staggering heights, but the people are bearing it cheerfully. There are no very rich left in England today. The war has led to the equalization of incomes to a remarkable ,degree. Yes, and the war has led to the equalization of many other things as well—food and clothing and many of the amenities of life. ■ In pleasure motoring there is now complete equality, because there is none at all for anyone. “In spite of all the thousands of millions spent oh the war, social services—and I sometimes wonder, whether the extent of the social services in Britain is fully appprcciated —have not suffered. Indeed, in some noteworthy ways those services have developed. Arrangements are now made under which every expectant mother,'every nursing mother, and every child under five receives a pint of- milk a day—and if there is no money to pay for it the supply is free. Every child up to the age of . three receives a supply of cod liver oil and fniit juice, and again the supply is, if necessary, free. In spite of all the difficulties of the wartime situation, the people of Britain generally are better mid more scientifically fed than at any other time in their histo“The efforts which Britain is making on the sea, on land, in the air, on the industrial front and on the social front, are enough to refute any idea that Britain is effete. I should like to take this opportunity to refute another charge Which has been brought, against Britain in various quarters—the charge of ‘lmperialism’ in relation to the government of the colonial Empire. Mistakes have been made in tho past, and the administration in some colonies has been better than in others, but by and large the British record of colonial administration, especially during the last generation, is a record o£ which Britain has the right to be proud. Post-War Planning.

“Though it is too early to frapie detailed plans for the organization of peace, when peace is won, I ani one of those who think that we should always keep fixed before our eyes the principles on which the new world to which we look forward after the war must be based, if our hopes are to succeed,” said Sir Harry. “Dreams that the millennium will come immediately the war is over are doomed to disappointment. It certainly won’t come without a tremendous effort on our part, and it is up to us to make up our minds here and now that we are going to avoid some of the mistakes of the past, and to learn some of the lessons that this war has taught us. “The first lesson of all is that goodwill and understanding, sympathy and co-op-eration are the only foundation on which we can build with any hope of success. In the past diplomacy has largely consisted in trying to cateh the other fellow up, not in trying to help him along. Now' war itself has brought about this good thing, that it has enabled all the United Nations engaged in this desperate struggle to know one another better. I think that it is a great thing that the people of New Zealand, and specially tb6 youjig people, have got to know the splendid young Americans of whom we have so many in our midst. It has been a great thing also that so many young New Zea landers have got to know the people in Britain, and the people in Britain have go to know them. I wish that the course of the war had led to some British troops coming to New Zealand.” In helping to create a new international order, based on co-operation and goodwill, the Commonwealth of British nations could play a great and valuable part, Sir Harry said. It could serve as a pattern for the Commonwealth of all free nations. Spirit of Co-operation.

In the commercial relations between one country, and another tho spirit ot co-operation was equally necessary, b ortunutelv in the ease of New Zealand and Great Britain that spirit of co-operation had been so firmly established, the fields of their production had hitherto been so far complementary to and not competitive with one another, that their commercial relations had followed easy lines. But in this respect changes had been taking place. Secondary production had partly as the result of the war, been .fust developing in this country, and (luring the war primary production had been increasing in Britain, till now two-thirds of the food consumed in Britain was produced at home. He saw no reason to fear any disturbance of the happy trading relations of the past. And this for two reasons. Britain wns determined that in the new world after the war there was to be no undernourishment among British people such as there had been in tbe past. There was reason, therefore, to hope that, even it Britain grew considerably more food for herself than she had done for some time past, the amount of food consumed would be greater ami there would, therefore, remain a large market for imported foodstuffs. And similar considerations applied in regard to the production of manufactured goods in this country, lhe high standard of living here would create a demand for sonic of the newer lines of specialized goods in which he believed that, thanks io their wartime experience of intensive production. British manufacturers were going to lead the world utter tho war. “AVc have all to learn that, tho prosperity of any section of the community depends on the prosperity of all the other sections.” added Sir Harry, “and that happiness shared is the only happiness worth while We are determined that in the new world of the future every man is to re ceivo the fair reward of his work, but rt corollary to this is that every man is to do his fair share of work to earn the reward.”