AUSTRALIA’S WAR EFFORT

Greymouth Evening Star, 20 July 1942, Page 5

AUSTRALIA’S WAR EFFORT

COAL MINE_STOPPAGES POSITION BECOMING SERIOUS (N.Z.P.A. Special Australian Correspondent). SYDNEY, July 18. The Prime Minister (Mr Curtin) has decided to talk to miners’ officials about coal stoppages. He will attend a special conference of the Miners Feneration early next week, when the report of the Coal Commissioner (Mi' Mighell) will be'discussed. The coal position is becoming so serious that it is believed in official circles that the Government is being forced to the conclusion that, conciliation having failed, more forceful measures will have to be used to maintain production. Some time ago the Government took power to force strikers to work under penalty of imprisonment or call-up foi' the Army or the Labour Corps. The power has not yet been exercised, but the question of compulsion will be discussed by next week’s conference. Miners’ Federation officials are understood to have confessed frankly that they are unable to control an unruly minority of their members. The recent statement of the State miners’ president (Mr Scanlan) that the gloves should be taken off to the irresponsible minority is regarded as a hint that the majority of miners would not question the Government’s right to discipline men responsible for frivolous strikes. A strong hint that the Government is prepared to act against any impediment of Australia’s war effort has been given by the Minister of Labour (Mr Ward), who said last night: “If we find there is no other way we will be just as ruthless as the Nazis in dealing with those who oppose us. Where the Government can be certain there are elements unreceptive to a change it may send them into the Army or somewhere else.” Mr Curtin has accused strikers in war industries of assisting the enemy. He said he made this accusation with a deep sense of his responsibility as Prime Minister. “Any worker in any democracy who to-day argues with authority regarding industrial conditions and fails to work at his appropriate job not only worsens the war effort but also is acting in a way that assists our Nazi and Fascist enemies,’ he declared. “Two or three snakes in the grass can poison the effort of the whole patriotic community.” Mr Curtin was speaking at the opening of an exhibition of Russian pictures organised to raise £25,000 to send sheepskins to Russia. “I would sooner see them at work in factories and mines than sitting behind me,” said Mr Curtin, when a speaker remarked that tne workers were behind Mr Curtin ana the Government. Asked by a woman when there would be a Russian Minister in Australia, Mr Curtin said: “As soon as Russia wants one.” JAP AERIAL LOSSES. (X.Z.T.A. Special Australian Correspondent).

SYDNEY, July 19. Two Japanese seaplanes and a Zero fighter were shot down in an engagement in the South-west Pacific on Friday. The Allies suffered no losses. Three enemy seaplanes which attacked a lone Allied aircraft on a reconnaissance flight near Tulagi, in the Solomons, were given a warm reception. The Allied aircraft shot down, two of the enemy machines without damage to itself. Seaplanes have been used by the Japanese to extend their coverage in the area north of Australia where landing grounds are not available. They are believed to be armed similarly to the land fighters. Another of our air units was on reconnaissance over Timor when they were intercepted by two Zero fighters. One of the enemy aeroplanes was shot down. The Allied Air Force also bombed wharf installations and shipping at Rabaul. No claims of damage are made in the South-west Pacific Headquarters communique. An Allied air unit on Saturday bombed a Japanese aerodrome at Kieta, on Bougainville Island, states a communique issued by the Allied headquarters. Elsewhere activity was limited to reconnaissance. United States Army Air Forces awards for gallantry in the Southwest Pacific, just announced, include Captain William Hennon, of Minnesota, who received the Silver Star for taking odds of 17 to one in an air fight against the Japanese. He was opposed singly to 17 enemy heavy bombers. He shot down one bomber and damaged several others. INDUSTRIAL ARMY

SYDNEY, July 19. A complaint that scores of old and middle-aged white-collar workers, who have spent half of their lifetime behind shop counters, are being conscripted to do hard pick and shovel work, ior which they are quite unsuited, has been made by officials of the Australian Shop Assistants Union. To the suggestion that other more suitable war work might be found for these man the Allied Works Council spokesman said: — The need for operational defence works is so great that every available man in the group allotted to us must be called up. This embraces men from forty-five to fifty-five. The payment for Australian women employed 'in munitions, on work that previously was done by males, has been defined. They are to receive not less than ninety per cent, of the male rate of pay for similar work. No woman is required to lift more than thirty-five pounds. GERMAN PRISONERS’ TUNNELS ~SYDNEY, July 19. Six tunnels, measuring in all, between four and five hundred feet in length, were part of a large underground scheme by which German and Italian prisoners of war in a Victorian internment camp have been attempting, for about three months, to make their escape. It is believed that the six tunnels were planned to lead to a central tunnel, which' would emerge outside the camp. Revealing this, a military spokesman said, yesterday, that every atempt to escape from "the actual compound had been frustrated. No prisoner had escaped by tunnelling. The largest tunnel, which was discovered on June 30, was 240 feet long, and two feet six inches wide, and in places it was six feet high. Its base was fourteen feet below the' earth’s surface. It is estimated that this tunnel took between two and three months to construct. This 240 ft. tunnel was electrically lit, and was substantially timbered. There were shafts leading to this tunnel. The shafts were cut through wooden floors of the men’s huts. The mouth of one of these shafts was concealed by a hut stove. Another tunnel was hidden by a box containing sporting gear. Tne earth taken from the tunnels was spread around the huts, gardens and pathways. Forty policemen, all trained searchers, were sent to the camp. The prisoners" formed up into a square, and they sang the Horst Wessel song, and other German national anthems. The prisoners jeered at the police, and they derisively waved a large swastika flag, made out of discarded clothes. The police discovered large quantities of cilivian clothing, much ' of it still carrying the price tags of a Melbourne emporium. The discovery

of these tunnels is believed to have foiled a large-scale attempt to break out. Batons were found, which, presumably, were intended to be used for attacking the guards.