DEFENCE PLAN

Hokitika Guardian, 26 August 1933, Page 6

DEFENCE PLAN

FOR AUSTRALIA’.

\." MAKING OF MUNITIONS.:

SYDNEY, August .10,

■ Australia still awaits a definite announcement' of the new defence policy which is sure .to figure in this year’s

budget statement. Guarded announcement s that have , been made from time | to time indicate that the matter is receiving the most serious consider** tiqn of the. Federal,■. Government, and 't is" clear that the Australian authorities. aae working in clo.se co-operation with the 1 Imperial "Government ,in develop- j ing -a-scheme that will mean a stronger . front an the Pacific, Doubtless, too. New: Zealand has been iftcluded in the consul cations, and. the result, it, bound to. he. ft. general strengthening of. the forces where, that strengthening seems tft be merit, needed. Not the. least important move, so. far is the decision to establish a new cordite factory at-Muri--, . byrnong' i:n Victoria, at a cost of 4360,000. It Ls hoped that from this factory cordite, for naval guns will be supplied to the New-Zealand, nayy, i the British East Indie* cruiser squad- \ ron; the China Squadron, and- to the. Singapore naval base. I A high officer of the Commonwealth I munitions department • has; been in (England studying the • latest 'scientific methods of explosives manufacture, and when he returns to. Australia his Mnowledge should "•be/ of great value i in the making of a suitable type of ( cordite here. Eight-inch shells, which ■are?" used by the present Afustfaliam cruisers can be made at the Com- j monwealth factory, and Imperial tests have been satisfactory, Operations in

this .connexion are to be extended, arid it 1 is considered that it would be of great value to the Empire generally if on the matter of shell supplies Australia could he made absolutely independent. COAST BATTERIES.

The swift- interplay of rumour and •unter-runiour on the subject of

! i( «Oa.st 'defeilces,.^ particularly the pro||.vision of ,9.2 .guns at various points, i! may' be attributed to.the fact that re- ! commendations on these subjects have ;bee.n made during the last 10 years, j but' hnve been constantly shelved for j financial 'reasons.- It seems fairly cer;!tain, however, that 6 uch guns will now |be mounted at Sydney and Newcastle, ■and mt a ‘strategic - point .neor - FreI mantle, in the welst. dhe cost of a .battery would be about £BO,OOO, and ithe shells tor the heavy guns, would be made .at the new cordite factory, j Australia, has kept in touch with all the modern developments in gunnery and now has the latest type ■of howitzpr .and field gun. The. purchase of ,modern anti-aircraft guns will be con-sidered'-as soon is available. It ig not; surprising, therefore, thf-t i anxiety should be shown at the anti-1 (juated equipment which now does service at ..the Sydney and Newcastle! forts. ■■■ > . • - |

/ .NEW AEROPLANES, i Tt'- is generally known that Australia will shortly take definite steps to in;crease the efficiency of it s car forces, and it lis - likely that under? the proposals to : be made in the budget 18 .up-to-date fighting and bombing aeroplanes will be secured. Mostly they will be general purpose aeroplanes of an improved design on the existing Wapitis, t ; l H i awker-.Hai’tSy which are • among those suggested are capable of nearly 200 miles ‘an hour, carry three ■machine .guns.. and can be used for : bombing, fighting, or reconnaissance•work.. As th,e purchase of squadrons iof the latest military craft would cost ; 'a huge sum, the Minister fqr Defence ihas been, .considering a proposal to buy a few specialised types. . These would give Australian pilots a chance to fly the - fastest military -aeroplanes in. the world, which Great Britain '•builds.- British fighting aeroplanes reach speeds up, to 250 miles an hour. Ph'% to strengthen the military forces, this .year will be proceeded iwith along two piiies—-the training of an. expert nucleus of officers and men to .form the backbone of any war orjg'anisa.tion, and the provision of mod- , defenco equipment. Although the effective .strength of the militia forces to-day is below th.e.v .strength of the icirmy wfien cojrap.ul.spry training was iin operation, senior officers, are- not .perturbed at the lack of',.numbers. They .regard the training. of• an. expert personnel and the- .provision of mechanised units and improved weapon s of ‘defence and offence, as the primary iconsideration, poet,-war arffiy- .organisation. The extent to which the "policy may b.e pursued u’s contingent ’upon the. nro n «y- made availably by the. Government, To assist in the training of: /the expert nucleus arrangements arc m>w -being made to send a number of officers ■ to. India for specialised; training with", the .A,rmy there; The l policy of , sending vofficers abroed- has ~ been, suspended * for ■ ■ some time, but Army officers thifik that' it ’is’ desirable that the system * should /be resumed. ■ ,