CALL IN AUSTRALIA

Wairarapa Times-Age, 9 December 1941, Page 6

CALL IN AUSTRALIA

PEOPLE ASKED TO GIVE OF THEIR BEST EVERYTHING POSSIBLE ! BEING DONE. EMERGENCY MEETINGS IN ALL STATES. MELBOURNE, December 8. “I ask the people of Australia to give the best they can in the service of this country,” said the Prime Minister, Mr Curtin, in a statement on entering an urgent meeting of the War Cabinet which was held today. MrCurtin was told of Japan’s declaration of war at 8 a.m., when he immediately summoned the War Cabinet and all the Service chiefs. When the meeting dispersed for lunch it was officially announced that Australia accepted the situation as-'in-volving a state of war with Japan with a formal declaration of war to follow. The announcement added, “Australia is doing everything possible to co-operate with Britain, the United States and the other democratic Powers to resist the aggressors. Every step is being taken to place Australia on a war footing, including the closing of all Australian ports at a moment’s notice. Leave for the fighting services in Australia has been cancelled. All the State Governments held emergency meetings and made final arrangements to cope with an attack from the air and also for a round-up of remaining Japanese nationals for internment where it is found desirable.

BOMBS ON SINGAPORE

NO ATTACK ON. NAVAL BASE.

(Received This Day. 11.0 a.m.) LONDON, December 8. A few bombs were dropped on Singapore Island -and on the aerodrome at Kelantin. There were no casualties at the aerodrome. No bombs were dropped on the naval base.

RAID ON BORNEO

REPELLED BY BRITISH TROOPS. (Received This Day, 11.0 a.m.) MANILA, December 8. It is reported that Japanese troops landed in North Borneo, but were driven off by British troops.

MANILA BOMBARDED

ACCORDING TO N.B.C. RADIO. (Received This Day, 12.55 p.m.) WASHINGTON, December 8. The N.B.C. radio station at Manila says the Japanese are bombarding the town. According to the United Press Manila correspondent approximately 200 persons, of whom sixty were Americans, were killed today in a Japanese air raid on Iba, on the west coast of Luzon. The Japanese radio at Taihoku broadcast that Japanese warships had surrounded Guam and that, all big buildings on the island had been set on fire. President Vargas, of Brazil, said the Brazilian Cabinet had agreed to give absolute solidarity to. the United States,