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Hokitika Guardian, 8 May 1936, Page 5

to Canada, he understood that the defence expenditure for 1934-35 showed an increase of over 2,5A3,UUU dollars compared with the expenditure for previous years, and this expenditure was being generally maintained in the current year with some further increase for the Air Force. The Australian Government w« s engaged in c arrying out a three years’ programme of defence expansion, which was due to be completed at the end of the financial year 1936-37. The total cost, he understood, would be in the region of £20,000,000 in Australian currency/

A new Government had recently taken office in New Zealand, and from tho speeches which had been reported, it would appear that the Ministers

there were carefully examining the defence, position, hut there was no indication yet of what concrete proposals they might make. The proposals for strengthening the defences in South Africa had recently been announced by the Minister of

Defence. . <■ Asked whether any expenditure was for naval armaments, Mr MacDonald replied that in the case of Australia, the main provision was for naval expenditure, and in the case of South Africa, he understood that the creator part of the expenditure was for Air Force expansion..