CONFERENCE AT DELHI

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24423, 8 October 1940, Page 7

CONFERENCE AT DELHI

EASTERN COUNTRIES CO-ORDINATING WAR EFFORTS (British Official Wireless) RUGBY, Oct. 6 (Received Oct. 7, at 7.30 p.m.) ■ Preparations are proceeding at Delhi for the meeting there of the Eastern Group Conference, which will be opened shortly and will be attended by representatives of New Zealand, Australia, and the East African colonies. Their chief task will be to take measures for coordination of the war effort in their countries, with special reference to the position in the Near East. Meanwhile, the Roger mission has arrived in India and commenced its tour, during which it will study the development of the munitions industry in India. Striking progress has been made in this field and adaptation of the plant to war needs is proceedingly steadily. The manufacture of steel buildings, engineering supplies, and various types of weapons and ammunition is now being conducted by civil concerns in addition to Government factories. One railway workshop is being adapted to manufacture tanks and armoured cars. The manufacture of many medical supplies hitherto imported is being established and proposals to manufacture aluminium are being considered. In other directions India’s vast resources are being drawn upon to assist the Empire’s war effort. During the lasi six months, 1000 tons of tea has been supplied for use by the Australian defence forces. New demands for coal for the Middle East have been accepted and negotiations for increasing supplies of certain heavy hides have been successfully. concluded During the past fortnight the orders included timber for Iraq, the Middle East and Aden, °neineerine stores for the Middle East, textiles for Singapore, and jute sacks for Egypt An order for the construction of a number of small naval vessels is also being executed.