"Good-Neighbour" Policy

Ends With Lend-Lease

From Our Own Correspondent APIA, April 5.

UNCLE SAM’S Lend-Lease policy has ended at the naval base at Pago Pago, American Samoa.

The RNZAF transport Dakotas, which form the connecting air-mail link be tween Western Samoa, Fiji, Tonea and Auckland, used to fuel at Pago Pago after leaving Apia on the way back to New Zealand. But when last week’s ’plane arrived at Pago, the American authori ties flatly told New Zealand’s flyers that any aviation gasoline needed' by them would have to be paid for spot cash and in dollars.

The New Zealanders had apparently forgotten their pocket books, so the ’plane, with passengers and urgent air-mails, had to return to Ania and wait three days there for the necessary fuel.

As the previous mail ’plane to New Zealand had omitted to call at Apia ow ing to the outbreak of infantile paralysis in Rarotonga, the unfriendly attitude of our American neighbours at Pago Pago caused some inconvenience and trouble — particularly to the commercial com munity.

It is reported, however, that the rea son for the refusal of the Americans to refuel New Zealand ’planes on any other than a “cash-and-carry” basis was that New Zealand had started the fuel war first. It is alleged that NZ refused to fuel American ’planes in New Zealand and that the American Samoan incident was in retaliation for that action.