DEFENCE SCHEME.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 183, 4 August 1936, Page 7

DEFENCE SCHEME.

AUSTRALIA'S NEED. REALISATION GROWING. MAY BUILD OWN 'PLANES. Australia's realisation of the need for an adequate defence scheme was the subject of discussion by Mr. M. A. Conway, a Hastings sheep farmer and wellknown breeder of Romneys, who returned to New Zealand by the Marama this morning. He was accompanied by his daughter, Miss R. Conway. He said that opinion in the Commonwealth had been crystallising for some time now, and the results were to be seen. He had heard a rumour that One of the big companies in Australia was being equipped, with machinery so that aeroplanes could be made within the country.

It was, of course, common property that defence would be one of the major questions which would be dealt with at the forthcoming Premiers' conference in Australia. All the States were agreed that something more would have to be done. This, broadly, was the opinion he had heard expressed among prominent businessmen.

He recommended a like realisation to New Zealand. Great Britain, he said, had her hands full at present. The colonies would have to do something more' for themselves —and such countries as New Zealand and the Commonwealth, with broad unoccupied acres, might prove a temptation.

Mr. Conway turned, from defence to speak about wool, in whiclr he, as a grower, is naturally interested. Anticipations in Australia, he said, were for a good season. Beneficial rains had fallen, which was an important factor, more so than the Dominion realised. Stocks in store were very small, as also they were here, while the demand seemed to be holding.

There was some disquiet in some quarters about the disagreement with Japan, but it had been pointed out to him that Japanese mills were equipped with machinery expressly to deal with -Australian wool types, and it was not likely that the former country would be wj ing to scrap that machinery. Mr. and Miss Conway have been y three njonths. They have . ; as holiday u far •» well, the main centres or