Abstract
MB. HAROLD MACMILLAN, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the Colonies, gave an informative account of the activities and plans of the Colonial Office, in moving the vote for that Office in the House of Commons on June 24. Dealing with the present, Mr. Macmillan said the Allied losses in the Far East mean an immediate and important loss of supplies ; 60 percent of the tin production of the world, 90 percent of the rubber production, a large proportion of the wolfram and lead, and valuable sources of sugar, tea, rice and oil seeds have fallen to the enemy. Making good the deficiencies will mean an immense increase in Colonial production. In an endeavour to bridge the gap which must occur before large-scale production of synthetic rubber in the United States can be effected, the rubber output of Ceylon has been intensified, the services of Malayan planters have been obtained to assist in reviving plantations in Tanganyika, and wild rubber in East and West Africa is being tapped. Mineral production in the Colonies is being stimulated. The Colonies are also contributing notably to the war effort by decreasing their imports. West Africa is concentrating on the production of rice, vegetables and dairy produce ; East Africa is increasing its production of wheat, maize, rye and other foodstuffs. In the West Indies an attempt is being made to introduce more and diverse food crops.
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Colonial Policy. Nature 150, 17 (1942). https://doi.org/10.1038/150017a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/150017a0