DOMINION AIRFIELDS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 26 February 1943, Page 3

DOMINION AIRFIELDS

AMERICAN STATEMENT DENIED ■ ■■ LEASE-LEND ARRANGEMENT DOES NOT APPLY. STATEMENT bi AIK CHIEF. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. The statement attributed to Mr Maas in Washington about New Zealand having built 105 airfields for the United States and charging the entire cost to the United States under the reverse lease-lend was commented upon last night by the Chief of Air Staff, Air Commodore Goddard. “I know Mr Maas, having met him in the Islands after he had decided to give up military service and return to the House of Representatives,” said Commodore Goddard. “Though I have not yet seen the full text of what Mr Maas said, knowing Mr Maas I am not surprised at the report. It is, however, entirely incorrect and highly misleading.” The air commodore said that he presumed Mr Maas was referring to the airfields that had been built in New Zealand during the past 10 years and more. Not one of those fields —even the most modern —was built under lease-lend arrangement. Certain airfields outside New Zealand, in the Islands, had been built by New Zealand engineers for the Americans. Certain airfields in New Zealand had been constructed or improved to meet the United States requirements, but not one under leaselend arrangement so far. “I heard Mr Maas make similarly exaggerated statements regarding the Australian forces, though on that occasion the exaggeration did not magnify the achievements. I refuted his statement then as I do now,” he said.