IN CLOSE TOUCH

Wairarapa Times-Age, 21 December 1939, Page 7

IN CLOSE TOUCH

NEW ZEALAND & AUSTRALIA EXTENDED CO-OPERATION. ANTICIPATED BY MR FRASER. p*y Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright. (Received This Day. 9.15 a.m.) MELBOURNE, This Day. Methods to ensure complete cooperation between Australia and New Zealand in war efforts will be discussed by the Australian War Cabinet at a meeting in Melbourne tomorrow. As a preliminary to the meeting, the Federal Premier (Mr R. G. Menzies) conferred briefly yesterday with Mr Peter Fraser, who later left for Sydney. In addition to the political discussions between Mr Menzies and Mr Fraser, military co-ordination was discussed by the Chief of the Australian General Staff. General Squires, and the commander of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force, General Freybeig. It is understood that the discussions between Mr Menzies and Mr Fraser included co-operation in the provision of essential defence supplies, particularly training aircraft, from Australia, and munitions. Mr Fraser said after the conference that Labour leaders both in Britain and. France were solidly supporting the Allies' effort to eradicate Nazism for ever. "I found 100 per cent agreement with the attitude of British Labour, as expressed by the Parliamentary Party, in the country, and by the Trade Union Congress" Mr Fraser said. "While Labour is .completely supporting the war against Nazism, it reserves the right of criticism and will stand by its published war aims. Although the workers in France have had their hours lengthened and wages decreased under the Daladier Government, they also feel that their immediate task is to crush Nazism.” Mr Fraser said he believed 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 was actively engaged in carrying out its war effort. In addition to participating in the Empire air scheme, the Dominion was sending 650 pilots and 650 air crews and technical personnel to the Royal Air Force each year. Mr Fraser declined to comment on the discussions regarding the transTasman air service. Later Mr Menzies said the matter was one for the full Federal Cabinet, which would discuss the position in January.