DOMINION PRODUCE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 19 July 1941, Page 6

DOMINION PRODUCE

MAY GO TO WESTERN AMERICA IN INTERESTS OF SHIPPING ECONOMY STATEMENT BY MR HOPKINS (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) (Received This Day, Noon). LONDON, July 18. The United States is giving intensive consideration to a proposal that New Zealand and Australian primary produce should be shipped to the western seaboard of America, enabling equal quantities of American . produce to be shipped to Britain, thus avoiding the long haulage from the Antipodes. This was revealed by Mr Harry Hopkins, who emphasised that the whole problem was shipping and said it was clear that if there were sufficient ships Nov/ Zealand and Australia would ship their produce direct to Britain, but it must not be forgotten that there was a similar shipping problem between Now Zealand and Australia and the United States to that between Britain and the United . States. Before his departure for London 'he had discussed the question with Messrs Langstone and Coates. The United States was determined to see that Britain got enough food. This would call for a major change in United States agricultural economy. Steps- were being taken to ensure an adequate supplementation of supplies from New Zealand and Australia to Canada. Every American ship moving anywhere in the world was now regarded the war effort as its primary purpose, and, in that connection, there was the closest co-operation between the British and American authorities.