Manawatu Evening Standard. WEDNESDAY, OCT. 2, 1940. DEFENCE OF PACIFIC.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 261, 2 October 1940, Page 6

Manawatu Evening Standard. WEDNESDAY, OCT. 2, 1940. DEFENCE OF PACIFIC.

Ay alert British High Command and Cabinet, in the earliest days of this war, showed a ready appreciation of the role Australia and New Zealand must play in it, for it was not • merely as a matter of convenient decentralisation that large munition and aircraft undertakings were set moving in the Commonwealth. In point of fact the plan envisaged the operation of a complete arsenal to serve the greater part of the Near East and the South Pacific arena. How successful that scheme has proved is apparent from the warning delivered by Lord Lothian to authoritarian States —Eastern or of the West — that they would. by interfering, encounter formidable resistance from our ever-growing organised strength in the Pacific. The Amsador’s words were not idle ones, and they will probably be as salutary to ourselves (who are so prone to underestimate our strategic importance) as to the Powers to whom his warning was directed. But as a matter of fact in Australia, especially, a tremendous effort has been in'progress, and is continuing with increasing momentum. A year after the outbreak of the war the Commonwealth is planning to spend at the rate of £177,000,000 to £200,000,000 a vear on defence —since Germany attacked Poland she lias more than trebled her expend! tture. These figures mean that more than £o a second' is being spent on the war. Even talking in terms of £200,000,000 a year, the Federal Treasurer says no limit can be set for commitments.

Ten years ago, the Scullin Government, harassed by the depression, pared the defence vote to less than £4,000,000 a year. The Lvons Government rapidly stepped it up to £11,000,000 until the war clouds began to gather, when the late Mr Lyons announced a tliree-vear programme envisaging an expenditure of £43,000,000; in September, 1938 —that fateful month of Munich—plans were laid, for an annual expenditure of £60,000,000. But only part of the story of Australia’s great effort is told by figures. Since September of last year she has sent an expeditionary force overseas; enlisted more than 157,000 men for the Fighting Services—only last week an additional division was announced; made preparations to become the greatest arsenal in the Southern Hemisphere; enormously expanded the local manufacture of aircraft and ships; and patrolled the Pacific and Mediterranean. The strength of the Air Force is about five times that of April last, year in terms of personnel, while the supply of military aircraft has been doubled. As one of the four partners of the Empire air training scheme (to which New Zealand is making a magnificent contribution), Australia is to provide

about 50,000 men. More colossal figures are provided by the munitions programme, the first stage of which calls for an outlay of £50,000,000; already some 20,000 workers are engaged on this type of work against a maximum tof 2737 in the last war, and before the end of next year 150,000 persons will be engaged on production. Orders for Great Britain and other parts of the Empire are being filled, the production of small arms munitions in the last 13 months having risen by nearly 500 per cent. These amazing figures tell a remarkable story the determination of the young nations of the Pacific to bear the standard of Democracy in their immediate sphere. '*