POST-WAR DEFENCE

Evening Star, Issue 25673, 22 December 1945, Page 5

POST-WAR DEFENCE

AUSTRALIAN POLICY CO-OPERATION WITH BRITAIN CANBERRA, December 21. The transfer to Australia of British people and production units in the shipbuilding, aircraft, and other industries is planned as part of Australia's post-war defence policy. This is one principle adopted by the War Cabinet and announced to-day by the Prime Minister, Mr J. B. Chifley. The proposals were made to Britain during the war, but owing to the acute supply position, it was not possible to develop them. Australia was told then that any scheme for. the affiliation _of Australian production capacity with United Kingdom manufacturing resources was a matter of post-war policy. The guiding principles of post-war defence will be as follows: Naval Power. —Provision for the maintenance of adequate man-power and standard of strength, and provision of naval bases and facilities for repair and fuel. Air.—Uniform development of the air forces and the creation and maintenance' of air bases and fuelling stations, and air force interchanges of personnel and units. Munitions.—Development of Empire resources to avoid as far as possible ove"r-concentration of resources for the manufacture and supply in any area specially liable to attack, development of manufacturing self-sufficiency and arrangements tor combining manufacturing facilities between' parts of the Empire. Aircraft and engines produced in Australia should be suitable, not only for the defence of Australia, but for the defence of all British countries.