FIGHTING JAPANESE

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVIII, Issue 79, 30 September 1944, Page 8

FIGHTING JAPANESE

AUSTRALIA PLANS BIG MOVES Rec. 12.30 p.m. CANBERRA, Sept. 30. Important moves in' the war against Japan are being planned by Australian political and military authorities. The Prime Minister, Mr. Curtin, has conferred with the Commander-in-Chief of the Australian Land Forces, General Blarney, and on Monday a further conference will be held between the Army Minister, Mr. F. M. Forde, and General Blarney. Important announcements are expected after these talks.

For more than a week past he has been working on arrangements to give effect to the announcement made by Mr. Churchill on Thursday about future moves in the Pacific war, Mr Curtin told interviewers. Mr. Churchill said Britain would not be behindhand in giving effective aid to Australia and New Zealand.

The scale of Britain's effort against the Japanese would be limited only by the available shipping. Recalling his own earlier statement that Australia's economic and industrial effort would have to be doubled or trebled, Mr Curtin said the extent of this increased effort depended on the scale of the British operations in the Pacific The more massive the strength mustered against the Japanese, the greater the demand would be on the bases near to the scene of operations. Australia was one of those bases.

"This most significantly affects the allocation of man-power in this country," added Mr. Curtin. "I would be happy to divert to civilian production every man available, but with greater forces preparing to fight the Japanese war, the demands on Australia are increased instead of lessening."