AUSTRALIAN NEED

Evening Post, Volume CXXXIII, Issue 90, 17 April 1942, Page 5

AUSTRALIAN NEED

Living at Standard of Soldier

(Rec. 12.45 p.m.) MELBOURNE, April 16. "Every Civilian will have to live down to the standard of a soldier if victory is to be achieved," said General Sir Thomas Blarney, speaking at the opening of the national savings campaign. "This country is still having a very good life." He added: "There is definitely an orgy of spending in Australia. Every shopkeeper will tell you that his receipts have never been higher. "Australians have been driven time and again fijom stricken fields all because Australians at home have not been ready to give all their time at their disposal, and their full strength, to prevent these disasters. "We are using our money to give ourselves pleasure, whereas the time is long past when we should spend in this fashion."

Lieutenant Garrity, Lieutenant Conley, all of whom are members of the United States air force, also returned. In addition, there were several members of the signal corps, three bombardiers, and five navigators. The United States authorities are not prepared to say why these men were collected for evacuation' beyond the remark, "There is a very good reason for it," nor were they willing to say how the evacuees were embarked. DAYTIME ATTACKS. Brigadier-General Royce said all the raids were in the daytime between 5000 and 2000 feet. The attacks on Davao were timed to synchronise with an attack by American land forces. Japanese troop concentrations at dawn on Monday received a terrific pounding from the air and ground artillery, something for which they had not bargained. The raids covered a full period of 48 hours, but it was not until the second day that opposition developed, which was easily overcome. Anti-air-craft fire over Davao, however, was both heavy and accurate. The American -bomber lost had made a forced landing, and the crew was rescued. Brigadier-General Royce said that the vital s^ot to hit the Japanese was Burma. If the Allies could get sufficient planes into Burma and strike across into China they could cut the Japanese trail from the Philippines southwards with longrange bombers. WAS NOT IN RAID. He made it clear that he had not taken an actual part in the raid on the Philippines, but had set himself up as a one-man headquarters and tried to maintain communication with the bomber crews by courier. Senior Ministers in Canberra see in the American air attack on the Philippines the first sign of the tide of war turning against Japan. The Army Minister, Mr. F. M. Forde, said that the devastating raids by the Americans were an indication of what could be expected in the growing offensive against the Japanese.