LEND-LEASE GOODS

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 8, 5 October 1943, Page 4

LEND-LEASE GOODS

American Shipments To

South-west Pacific

MUNITIONS & MACHINERY “Approximately 61 per cent, of lendlease shipments to Australia and New Zealand have been munitions, including aeroplanes, tanks, lauding boats, guns and ammunition,” states the latest American quarterly report on lendlease operations, covering tlie period ended July 31 last. “These items are being used by Australian and New Zealand forces fighting beside the Americans in New Guinea, the Solomons and other parts of the South-west Pacific. They have played an important part in the recent victories in that area.

“While munitions have made up the largest proportion of iend-lease aid to Australia and New Zealand, shipments of other items have been extremely important. These two countries are fast becoming tremendous supply bases for operations against the Japanese. “Increasing emphasis is being placed on tlie development of their natural resources, arsenals and transportation systems. Thirty-five per cent, of the goods shipped to Australia and New Zealand from March 11, 1941, to June 30, 1943, has consisted of machinery, tools and raw materials.

“Plans are also under way to expand food output in Australia and New Zealand, which have always produced exportable surpluses of grains, meats and dairy products, so that these countries may supply an even greater share of the requirements for the United Nations armed forces in the South-west Pacific.

“Emphasis is being placed on the production of vegetables. Thousands of additional acres have been planted in truck crops. Lend-lease agricultural machinery and seeds have been shipped to facilitate planting, cultivating and harvesting.' In addition, machinery for new canning and dehydrating plants is being lend-ieased to both Australia and New Zealand, so that these foods may be preserved for transportation to the fighting forces at the front. “This programme will of necessity benefit the civilian population of the United 'States by reducing the quantities of food that smust be shipped to our forces in the South-west Pacific. An agreement has been reached with the Governments of Australia and New Zealand under which a large portion of the output of the canning and dehydrating plants equipped with lendlease machinery will be allocated to the United Nations forces in that the atre of war.”