AUSTRALIA’S PLANS

Grey River Argus, 15 August 1945, Page 2

AUSTRALIA’S PLANS

FOR ENDING OF WAR. CANBERRA, August 14. Australia is unlikely to cancel all defence orders with the end of the war as the United States is doing. Australia is expected to receive a portion of the munitions orders necessary to maintain armies of occupation in Asia and to re-stock the exhausted arsenals in the Dutch East Indies, Singapore, Penang and the French Indo-China. These are considerations which will influence the War Cabinet when it meets at Canberra on F’riday, to discuss urgent policy changes, affecting manpower. Australia is likely to seek orders for war and semi-war equipment among friendly nations in the near north. If these orders are secured the transfer of men and' women from munition plants to private enterprise can proceed much more smoothly than could otherwise be expected. The Minister of Information (Hon. Mr. Calwell), stated that the application of publicity and censorship to the Australian Press would cease immediately the Prime Minister announced that the Commonwealth was no longer at war with Japan. Hon. Mr. Calwell explained that as the interests of other United Nations and that of the Australian forces themselves were involved, the question of the removal of censorship from radio broadcasts and outgoing Press messages was being discussed with the appropriate authorities and the Australian services. It would be taken for granted' that as soon as the Japanese force was no longer in a position to take offensive action, all remaining forms of publicity censorship would be abolished SYDNEY, August 14. The police took no chances in Sydney last night. Although the crowds were in a less boisterous mood, every street corner had its group of staid, blue-clad figures. Crowds who have been prematurely a celebrating peace in Sydney streets every night since Friday,.were noisv but much better behaved last night. The hooliganism, which reached a peak in boisterous revels at Martin Place on Sunday night, was little in evidence. This is thought to be due to a wave of resentment at the desecration of the Cenotaph on Sunday and’ the warning that the police had been substantially reinforced and would drastically check behaviour exceeding decent bounds. A Military guard and voluntary action by ex-soldiers will protect the Cenotaph from desecration . during peace celebrations. Sydney City Council officials stated that arrangements had been made with the Army authorities for the Cenotaph to be guarded' from the night of the peace announcement until the end of the celebrations. Perth went mad yesterday because of the spreading of a report that Japan had accepted the -Allied peace terms. People shrieked, threw paper, banged cans, cheered, laughed and cried. Some city firms gave them staffs the i ? est of the day off. . Brisbane yesterday officially celebrated the peace. The State Government last week-end authorised yesterday’s victory- celebrations. From noon until dusk, tens of thousands of people crowded the city streets, celebrating the Pacific victory. The highlight of the day was a victory parade by Australian, British. American and Dutch servicemen and women and ex-servicemen of this, the last and the Boer Wars.