AUSTRALIAN DEFENCE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 1 August 1940, Page 5

AUSTRALIAN DEFENCE

GREAT STRIDES IN WAR INDUSTRY VERY SUBSTANTIAL NAVAL EXPANSION. HEADWAY IN PRODUCTION OF AIRCRAFT. i By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) MELBOURNE, July 31. An official statement issued by the Commonwealth Government today deals with the effective manner in which Australia’s defence foundation has been laid. The statement says the defences were never so strong, enabling the nation to become self-reliant. The cost of the war programme for the four-year period from 1938 to June. 1942 will be £454,000,000. The total enlistments for the three fighting services during the 11 months of the war to June 30 were 121,000. The number of persons at present engaged in producing munitions in 15,200. The output of munitions by the end of the present year will be eight times greater than in April, 1939. By the end of next June there will be 150,000 employed in the Australian armament industry. Naval expansion has also been very substantial as, in addition to the ships of the Australian Navy, five vessels have been converted to merchant cruisers, 30 to war auxiliary vessels while more than 250 merchant ships have been defensively equipped. Ten destroyers and patrol vessels are at present under construction in Australian shipyards. The statement also refers to splendid headway in the building of aircraft, for which £8,000,000 has been earmarked. Since the outbreak of the war 00,000 militiamen have received one month's training, 75,000 three months, and 54,000 four months.