WAR SUPPLIES

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIII, Issue 237, 7 October 1942, Page 3

WAR SUPPLIES

VAST IMPROVEMENT Saving Australia From Jap. Invasion Rcc. 10.30 a.m. SYDNEY, this day. "Everything is subordinated to the job of holding back the invader from our sacred shores," said the Federal Attorney-General, Dr. Evatt, in a speech last night when he reviewed the Labour Government's achievements of the last 12 months. From the first the Curtin Government concentrated specially on organising the country's resources on the Pacific battlefront and Mr. Curtin had insisted that geographical and strategic considerations should result in the United States taking over the primary responsibility for the whole Pacific theatre of war. . There was nothing anti-British in that, Dr. Evatt said. Rather it was a realistic approach and had proved of incalculable value both to Britain and Australia. Above all, Australia's relationship with Britain to-day was never more friendly and never more intimate. The improvement regarding supplies during the year had been very great indeed. The number of tanks successfully brought to Australia had been multiplied a hundredfold since February, when the outlook for Australia was very black. A similar improvement marked the position in regard to modern fighter aeroplanes. The fact was that the equipment obtained by Australia from the United States and Britain had. when added to Australia's own production, helped to save Australia from 3 Japanese invasion. The Government believed that although far more attention was now beifig paid to the Pacific fronts than seemed possible six months ago, there was still a tendency in powerful quarters abroad to regard the Pacific as a sideshow. Fortunately, President Roosevelt and the United States Navy had always assessed the Pacific theatre as of considerable importan "\Ve owe much to the United States Navy, the recovery of which after the Pearl Harbour disaster has been miraculous," said Dr. Evatt.