GETTING CLOSER

Wairarapa Times-Age, 30 June 1941, Page 4

GETTING CLOSER

IN FACE OF PROBLEMS & Perils NEW ZEALAND & AUSTRALIA. MR SEMPLE'S IMPRESSIONS. ißv Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. “Australia is making a magnificent war effort,” said the Minister of National Service, Air Semple, when relating in tin address last night some of his impressions of his recent tour through the industrial areas ol' the Commonwealth. He said the rapid development of Australia's industries in the direction of the manufacture of war equipment from the raw material to the finished article was amazing. Her assistance at the moment to the British Commonwealth of Nations was tremendous, and he was confident that her future production would be even greater still. Mr Semple said that Australia was striving to make herself self-reliant, particularly from a defence point of view, while giving the maximum assistance to the British Commonwealth, and he was confident that she would succeed. He had discussed matters which directly affected New Zealand and Australia with all the men at the head of that wonderful organisation called the Supply and Development Department’, with its ramifications reaching throughout Australia. The very basis of this organisation was her great steel works which, while not the largest of its kind in the world, was, he was convinced, one of the best managed. The proof of this was that they were manufacturing the cheapest steel in the world. He was successful in obtaining a share for New Zealand of this much-needed commodity. "I was privileged to discuss with men in high positions while in Australia the question of closer co-opera-tion between New Zealand and Australia,” said Mr Semple. “As the result of these discussions I am convinced that' the spirit of cordial co-operation and mutual help, which is the spirit of Anzac and which is being manifested among the forces of the Commonwealth and the Dominion, is permeating the whole of the people of Australia and is being manifested in every phase of war production and activity in our great sister Dominion. They realise, as we realise, that if we do not hang together we may be hanged separately.”