British Socialists’ Peanut Plan

£23 Million Gone Down

The Drain

A FURTHER stage is reported in the vast plan under which Britain was to plant up large areas in East and Central Africa with peanuts (ground nuts), so as to ensure for herself ade quate supplies of vegetable oil.

The plan had much to commend it; but it has been implemented by a Socialist Administration and, as a natural conse quence, it has been almost crippled by muddling and colossal waste.

It was reported from London early in November that the plan already has cost Britain £23,000,000, and she got, from the first crop, only 85,000 tons of nuts.

The newspapers say that this situation represents the political grave of the Socialist Minister Strachey, who was re sponsible for the creation and operation of the Overseas Food Corporation. The auditors, in a note attached to the Cor poration’s annual report, say that the Corporation did not keep proper books of

account, nor make sufficient information available.

Britain’s need of vegetable fats is so great, however, that she will continue with the scheme; but the unhappy British tax payer now becomes more unhappy every time he sees a peanut.

The number of petrol drums brought from former Pacific War areas by Islands Industries Ltd. to Suva, Fiji, for use as containers for the export of coconut oil is now more than 50,000. The drums were left behind in the Pacific by the Allied Forces at the end of the war.