ON WAR FOOTING

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 291, 9 December 1941, Page 8

ON WAR FOOTING

AUSTRALIA ACTS

Ports Closed Arid Spared For Air " Atticfes

United Press Association.—Copyrig-ht,

Rec. 11 a.m. MELBOURNE, this day.

. 1 ask the people of Australia to give the best that they can in the service of this country," said the Prime Minister, Mr. J. Curtin, in a statement -on- entering an urgent meeting of the War Cabinet yesterday Mr. Curtin was told of Japan's declaration of war at 8 a.m. when he, immediately the War ,Cabinet.and.all Seryice chiefs. When the meeting was dispersed for lunch it was" officially announced that Australia had accepted the situation as involving the State in war with Japan with a formal declaration of war to follow. The announcement added that Australia was > doing everything possible to co-operate with Britain, the United States and other democratic Powers to: resist the aggressors. Every step was. being taken to place Australia on a war footing, including the closing of all Australian ports at a moment's notice. Leave for the £ghting -Services in Australia has Keen cancelled. i All the State Governments have held emergency meetings and made final' arrangements to cope with attack from the air and also to round up the remaining Japanese nationals for ..internment where it was found desirable. .. War With Finland Di% Evatt, Minister of External Affairs, said that - Australia had declared war on (Finland, Hungary and Rumania in a new; form, the declaration of a state of-war- being made by the King oh the advice of the Commonwealth ~ Government. This, Dr. Evatt. said, was in line with Canadian practice, being the exercise of the responsibilities of self-government in international relations.