AUSTRALIAN FORCES.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 65, Issue 197, 2 June 1945, Page 3

AUSTRALIAN FORCES.

MANY TO BE RELEASED. '(Rec. 9.30 a.m.) CANBERRA, .Tune 1. It is expected that at least 50,000 men will he released from the Australian fighting forces be_ ; fore the end of the year. Provision for their release is made in the Commonwealth Government’s plan for rebalancing its manpower announced in the House of Representatives to-day by the ActingPrime Minister (Mr J. B. Chifley). The normal wastage from the Army and Air Force by the end of 1945 would be 20.000, in addition to the 50,000, said Mr Chifley. All members of the Army and Air Force with operational service overseas and five years’ service would be given the option ol taking their discharge. In the case of the Navy, consideration would oo given to the treatment of special cases on a parallel basis. Special consideration for priority of release would be given married men with family responsibilities. All Navy, Army and Air Force prisoners of war captured during the Middle East campaigns would be given the option of discharge, and this policy would be applied to future prisoners of war who might be released from the Jap, cinese. Mr Chifley said that now the war in Europe was ended and the might of the United Nations could be concentrated against Japan, the Government was seeking the advice of the highest authorities as to whether the penoc of 18 months, which Mr Churchill said would be the shortest period before the Japanese military resistance would be ended, could be reasonably duced. The provisioning scale for each of the Services was being reviewed and also the rate of production ot items in the munition programme.