CO-ORDINATED WAR EFFORT PLANNED

Manawatu Times, Volume 64, Issue 302, 22 December 1939, Page 8

CO-ORDINATED WAR EFFORT PLANNED

Mr. Fraser’s Discussions in Australia United Press Association —By Electric Telegraph—Copyright. MELBOURNE, Dec. 21. Methods to ensure complete cooperation between Australia and New Zealand In their war efforts will be discussed by the Australian War Cabinet at Melbourne tomorrow. As a preliminary to the meeting, the Prime Minister, Mr R. G. Menzies, conferred briefly yesterday with the New Zealand Minister, Mr Peter Fraser, who left later for Sydney. In addition to the political discussions between Mr Menzies and Mr Fraser, military coordination was discussed by the Chief of the Australian General Staff, General Squires, and the commander of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force, Major-General Freyberg. It is understood that the discussions between Mr Menzies and Mr Fraser included co-operation in the provision of essential defence supplies, and particularly of training aircraft from Australia, and munitions. • Mr Fraser said aftet the conference that the Labour leaders both in Britain and France were solidly supporting the Allies’ effort to eradicate Nazism forever. “I found myself 100 per cent, in agreement with the attitude of British Labour as expressed by the Parliamentary party, in the country, and by the Trade Union Congress,” Mr Fraser added. He said that, while Labour was completely supporting the war against Nazism, it reserved the right of criticism and would stand by its published war aims. Although the workers in France had had their hours lengthened and their wages decreased under the Daladier Government, they also felt that their immediate task was to crush Nazism. Mr Fraser said he believed that the close co-operation already attained in the defence activities of Australia and New Zealand would be extended to economic and business affairs. New Zealand, he said, was actively engaged in carrying out her war effort. In addition to participating in the Empire air scheme, the Dominion was sending 650 pilots and 650 members of air crews and technical personnel to the Royal Air Force each year. Mr Fraser declined to comment on hi* discussions regarding the transTasman air service. Later Mr Menzies •aid that the matter was one for the full Federal Cabinet, which would discuss the position in January.