The bulk purchase contracts had largely been made with Empire producers and.the Empire Governments concerted, and it could row be disclosed that tentative arrangements for many of these-large contracts had been made before the war started. which enabled contracts to be implemented and take effect immediately war broke out. They had, for instance, bought the whole of the Australian and New Zealand wool clips for the period of the war and one year after.
With regard to flex, he said that its purchase was not easy, as the main supply in peace-time came from the Baltic countries. They were trying to increase flax production in thi country and in Northern Ireland. and it was of interest to note that an increased quantity would be grown on the Kings Sandringham estate. They had bought up the whole surplus of copper and zine from Canada. Australia, Rhodesia, and Burma, as
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.