BROTHER AUSSIE

Ellesmere Guardian, Volume LXII, Issue 17, 4 March 1941, Page 2

BROTHER AUSSIE

HIS GREAT ACHD3VEMENTS

SOLDIERS AND MUNITIONS

LONDON, February 26

All five continents now resound to the tramp of Australian feet. Everywhere from Canada to Cyrenaica, from Britain to Singapore, Australians, either on service or in training, are making a name for their Commonwealth and the Empire. The first test has been well won in Libya. Others are to follow, for the first thought by the Australians on their Libyan campaign is that it is only a preliminary canter:—"We want to get at the real fellows." The first thought by the Libyans on the Australian arrival is that conquerors who pay good money across the counter for the food and drink they buy, are a novel experience in war.

The long hop to Libya was already an achievement for a small population that is manning its own important defences. The disembarkation at Singapore of "the largest body of men ever to arrive in Malaya in a single convoy"—that is of the Australian Force that has just added its strength to that of its British, Malayan, Indian and Dutch Allies—entitles Australia to a second feather in the well-known Digger's hat. Australian airmen, said Mr Menzies after his tour of Libya, were "very brown and extremely badly dressed." But he overlooks their inelegance in view of their record: Fourteen Italian machines bagged for every one of their own, while at home recruits pour in and are being accepted at the rate of one hundred a day. Fourth Army Munitions by the million are one of the contributions of the army of workers they leave behind. Output is now planned on the basis of j a £120,000,000 programme over the next two years, as opposed to the £4,000,000 per annum Australia en-1 visaged when she went to war. For every type of munition she produced in the last war, she now turns out 150. For every munition worker she then employed, she employs 55 today. Since the outbreak of war she 'has quadrupled her production—a proud achievement considering the amount of groundwork to be done before a young industry can begin to show its strength. The art of shipbuilding is another quality which the war has brought into play. Australia is now ready to build ships from destroyers downwards and has just allocated to merchant shipbuilding her twentietii vote of £6,000,000. Desert Song We hear from Melbourne that the acting-Prime Minister has refused a request for entrance permits for an Italian opera company. He gave his reason. "The Italians have been entertaining us enough," he said. "The biggest joint enterprise the British Kmpire has ever, undertaken" is Mr Menzies's name for this war. He is in England, he says, to bring the "encouragement and confidence" of the Australian people.