MEASURES TAKEN

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 247, 18 October 1941, Page 7

MEASURES TAKEN

AUSTRALIA'S SHARE Cabinet Considers Latest Developments United Press Association.—Copjrifiit. Rec. noon. CANBERRA, this day. The Federal Cabinet yesterday further considered urgent defence measures to meet the latest developments. Subsequently the Prime Minister, in a statement, said: "The grave danger to Moscow and the change of Government in Japan indicate that the war is at a stage demanding the utmost cohesion on the part of the democratic Powers. Cabinet is engaged on requisite measures to carry out Australia's share in the common defence of all we have."

A review of plans for an unbroken defence chain through Malaya and Northern Australia to New Zealand was completed earlier at a conference of the War Cabinet, which was attended by Air Chief Marshal Sir Roliert Brooke-Popham, Com-mander-in-Chief of the Far East, and the chiefs of the Australian fighting services.

When the conference ended a Government spokesman indicated that all parties were well satisfied with the progress made in strengthening the Pacific defences since collaboration on the subject began.

After staff talks in Australia Sir Robert BrookePopham will visit New Zealand.

Sir Robert Brooke-Popham states! that he does not take a serious view of the extension of the Japanese air service to Portuguese Timor, so long as the British know what is going on and keep their eyes open.

The Netherlands East Indies Air Line is to inaugurate a service between the Netherlands East Indies and Sarawak.