AUSTRALIA

Greymouth Evening Star, 15 July 1943, Page 7

AUSTRALIA

FOOD PRODUCTION SYDNEY, July 14. Despite the fact that only about three per cent, of Australian land is suited for cropping, and manpower on the land has decreased from 420,000 to 280,000 since 1939, Australia made a wonderful contribution to the Allied food front, said the New South Wales Minister of Agriculture (Mr Dunn). Apart from supplying all Australia’s needs, and some of Britain’s, Australia’s contribution to the American Army in the South-west Pacific last year included more than three and a-half million pounds of fresh meat. This year, it is hoped, that with New Zealand, Australia would increase these supplies fivefold. Among the food production goals aimed at this year were half-a-million tons of potatoes, compared with 314,000 tons last year, 70,000 tons of rice against 42,000, and 100,000 tons of pigmeats against 71,000. Australia was rapidly building up its output of canned and dehydrated meats. In the third year of war it increased the exports of canned meat by more than seven times the previous annual average. Mutton for processing would require three million to four million sheep in future years. GERMAN DEFENCE MAPS (Rec. 12.45 p.m.) CANBERRA, July 15. A German who came to Australia in 1938 prepared sketch maps of Australian defence installations, while he was in an internment camp. This German, Karl Oswald Theirfelder, pleaded guilty in the Adelaide Criminal Court to two charges .of having obtained and recorded information in a manner likely to prejudice the defence of the Commonwealth. Theirfelder has been remanded for sentence. News of the trial has been released by the Australian Director-General of Security, Brigadier Simpson. Before the war Theirfelder worked as a mechanic for a German motor organisation, said Brigadier Simpson. He acquired a great deal of information about Australia’s defence positions and installations and about some measures of a secret nature. After the outbreak of the war, Theirfelder was interned, but the knowledge he possessed was gained in such a thorough manner he was able to prepared carefully annotated sketch maps showing many of these installations.. “While much of Theirfeicter’s information could be gained from observation, some vital facts in his possession were obtained by listening to idle chatter,” declared Brigadier Simpson. “There is still far too much talk. People must develop the security sense.” Brigadier Simpson announced that another internee from an overseas country had pleaded guilty to four counts of having in- his possession documents containing information of military value which might be useful to the enemy. The case is being heard in camera. HOME DEFENCE. SYDNEY, July 15. “While the threat of the invasion of Australia has been reduced, war’s uncertainty and its surprises, are such that the threat might come again,” said General Blarney, in a message to all Commanders of Commonwealth Volunteer Defence Corps, making the third anniversary of the establishment of the Corps. Security could remain only while adequate forces were maintained in Australia to preserve it. Whatever the course of the war might take, the responsibility of Volunteer Defence Corps remained as important as ever. Its morale and fighting efficiency must be maintained at the highest level. NATIONAL WORKS COUNCIL. MELBOURNE, July 15. The establishment of the Australian National Works Council, representing all States and the Commonwealth, has been decided on by the Premiers’ Conference. The Council will consist of one representative of each State Government, the Commonwealth Minister for Post-war Reconstruction, and the Federal Prime Minister as Chairman. It will begin immediate operation. The principal function of the Council will be to deal with the post-war works policy of the Commonwealth as a whole. All works and plans by States will be submitted to the new body in order to ensure that a comprehensive scheme of post-war works is planned and is ready for execution immediately after the war. The proposal was introduced to the Premiers’ Conference by the Federal Minister of Post-war Reconstruction (Mr. Chiefley).