CURTIN CABINET CRITICIZED

Southland Times, Issue 24829, 22 August 1942, Page 5

CURTIN CABINET CRITICIZED

SUPPLY OF FOOD TO BRITAIN (Rec. 6.30 p.m.) CANBERRA, August 21 Charging the Government with falling down on its obligations to supply food to Britain, Mr H. L. Anthony, M.P., former Assistant Minister of Commerce, states that it had also allowed the dairying, pig and poultry industries to drift into perilous positions. “The Government’s lack of policy regarding our export food industries is not only threatening to kill our export trade in foods, but is also hampering Britain’s war effort,” he said. “Britain is in* need of fats such as those contained in butter. She is urgently appealing for them and for powdered eggs, pig meats and other foods, but Ministers say in effect that we will not have a food shortage here, because the deficiencies can be made up by letting Britain go short. Thousands of tons of food prepared for export to Britain have already been converted for local use. Australians use lOoz of butter weekly. Britain’s ration is 4oz. . If supplies are not maintained Britain s ration must be cut even lower.” Mr Anthony said it was impossible for Britain to fight on a second front without adequate food. Last year a serious drought had caused Australia’s butter output to fall well below the quantity promised to Britain. The drought was unavoidable, but manmade difficulties must not cause Australia to dishonour her obligations to Britain. APPEAL FOR UNITY (Special Australian Correspondent, N.ZP.A.) (Rec. 7.35 p.m.) SYDNEY, August 21, This was no time for Australians to fight among themselves, said Sir Earle Page, formerly the representative of the Commonwealth Government in London. If the war were to be won there must be complete unity and everything else must be subordinated to the job of getting ready Australia’s defence and building up a mighty bastion of democracy within these shores from which the fight could be carried to the enemy. An Independent member, Mr Alexander Wilson (Victoria), whose vote can make or break the Federal Government, has made it clear that if the

Opposition attacks the Federal Government during the coming parliamentary session on either the war administration or censorship issues he will vote for the Government. He declared that the present Government was a vast improvement on its predecessors. Mr Wilson said he believed the censorship should be applied to prevent any inkling of our war strategy reaching the enemy, but apart from achieving this fundamental need there should be complete freedom of expression. The present Australian censorship achieved that.

The possibility of the Opposition members withdrawing from the Advisory War Council is now being canvassed, but it is generally felt that such a withdrawal by representatives of the parties which have made a national government their outstanding platform plank would not be favourably interpreted by the public.