Concern Over Australia's Unpreparedness

Chronicle (Levin), 6 September 1949, Page 5

Concern Over Australia's Unpreparedness

Oi — Received Monday. 9 p.m. SYDNEY. Sept. 5. Observers believe that the British and New Zealand defence experts who attended the recent secret staff talks in Melbourne, were concerned about the ineffectiveness of Australia's defence preparations. Senior Australian officers say, so far without contradition, that if war came tomorrow Australia would have to fight it with veterans and the ecjuipment of World War II. I The militia svstem which, despite a costlv reeruiting campaign, has never j succeeded in interesting enough young ] men to bring its units to strengtli, is most heavilv under fire. An increas- 1 ing bodv of informed opinion says that noudequate armed force can ever be trained and assembled without recourse to some form of peacetime compulsorv militarv training comparable with that recentlv introduced into New Zealand. Nevertheless, compulsory militarv servipp PVpn in time of war, has been a dancerous political subject in Australia which, even under the threat of _ a •Tapanese attack, refused to autliorise .conscription of men for serviee outside Australian territories. At present Australia has only 4000 figliting soldiers. Plans' were made for forces comprising 19,000 regular soldiers and 50', 000 militiamen but so far the totals enrolled, including clerks, accountants and storempn, ai^e 15,000 for the regular army and 16,000 for the militia. A correspondent writing in the Pvdnev Herald alleges that, apart from 2000 troops in Japan, the Government conld not muster in an emergency. a single fully trained infantry battalion, regiment .of rmodern,tanks or a efffciept. artillery regiment. The Naval force consists of one aircraft earrier, one heavy cruiser, ffve destrovers, three frigates, two tank landing ships, two survey ships and a- tug. Though she is a new ship and arrived in Australian vraters onlv last month, the aireraft

earrier H.M.A.R. Rvdney, has been ■ criticised and branded obsolete by manv observers beeause lier top speed*'-; of 25 knots is insufficient to allow her planes to operate safelv in eonditioos of cairn. Her complement incltuDs many Royal Navv ratings and the flving personnel comprises New Zealand- ( ers and Enflishmen as well as Ans tralians. The Navy enlistment target is 14,753 bnt the present total does not exceed 10,175. Prominent aviation e.orresp.ondents claim that, as a figliting force, the Royal Australian Air Force does not . exist. Enlistments measure 8500 against the required strength of 13,092. The only operational formations are two fighter, two bomber and th ree air | transport suquadrons. The planes are, of World War TT. vintage except for two or three Vickers Vampire , iet fighters. Even these, which are being built in Australia,8 are stated to l>e ( obsolete before thev leave the ground on the first test fiights as they are of a tvpe now being sold by Britain to Gontinental air forces.