DEFENCE WORKS IN AUSTRALIA

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 68, Issue 139, 24 March 1948, Page 5

DEFENCE WORKS IN AUSTRALIA

Measures Said to be Inadequate

(From C. It. MENTIPI.AY, Special Correspondent of the N.Z.P.A.). SYDNEY, March 23. ■ Charges that the defence measures taken by the Australian Government are hopelessly inadequate, and that the construction of the Empire guided missiles range in Central Australia is well behind schedule have not been answered to the satisfaction of former service members of the Federal Parliament. They are alarmed at what they consider complacency on the part of Ministers in view of the deteriorating world situation. To a statement by the Prime Minister (Mr Chifley) that in the next five years £250,000,000 would be spent on defence, these members argue that the mere fact of the estimates being approved means very little. They add that previous moneys approved for defence purposes have not been used, that apart from coastal artillery, the only fully-trained body in the Army is the brigade in Japan, and that because of the extremely poor response to recruiting campaigns, the prospects of having 19,000 men in the permanent Army within a few years is slight. Mr Chifley recently said that any further expansion of defences in consequence of events abroad was unlikely, “because in some cases the cash allocation made this year would not be expended.’ “Surely the non-expenditure of the funds allotted cannot be accepted as final proof of inability to do more,” commented the “Sydney Morning Herald.’ “All it shows is that we are doing less than was deemed necessary in the calmer, international atmosphere of nine months ago.’ British experts have expressed concern at the slowness of construction work on the rocket -range project, which they consider Australia’s main contribution to British Commonwealth defence. Some authorities! allege that inefficient planning and organisation have resulted in works begun nearly a year ago falling far behind schedule. Works which engineers say are lagging are normal engineering and carpentry projects, which do not include secret installations or work carried out in the former explosives factory at Salisbury, near Adelaide. Specifically criticised are the works at the rocket range head, about 130 miles west of Port Augusta, which has been given the aboriginal name of Wommera. These works include the laying of a water pipeline from Whyalla, the building of 20 miles of railway line, the construction of an aerodrome and strips, and the erection of a township. workshops, and communications equipment.