VETERANS OF A.I.F.

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 117, 12 February 1944, Page 7

VETERANS OF A.I.F.

Overworked, Says Menzies

SYDNEY, February 11. The three veteran divisions of the A.I.F. Were bein.z “overworked, overstrained, and over-tested,” declared the Deader of the Opposition, Mr. Menzies, in the House of Representatives. He was dissatisfied, he said, with Australia’s present war policy, which seemed to involve the concentration of Australia’s best fighting men in the jungles. This seemed to be insufficiently related to any long-range plan for defeating the Japanese in their own homes. He could see no way of doing that which did not involve a drive from China. Mr. Menzies added that he was not hanpy about the transfer from fighting job's of leading Australian generals. A secret session of both Federal Houses, to investigate recent changes in Australian Armv commands, was urged by the Opposition Deader, in the Senate, Senator McDeay. Speaker? in the Senate and the House of Representatives alleged that the following Australian officers had been side-tracked from fighting to. adminjs.tr',tive positions: General Sir Iven Mackay, General H. D. Wynter, General Sir Edmund Herting. Lieutenant-General Rowell, Dieutenant-General Sir John Lavarack, and Dieutenant-General . Sir Deslie Morshead. The Prime Minister, Mr. Curtin, later commented that the work being done, by the officers named was proof that the best use was being made of their Services.