NEW AIR BASES

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXII, 7 December 1938, Page 7

NEW AIR BASES

AT TOWNSVILLE AND PORT MORESBY £10,000,000 TO BE BORROWED (Received 7th December, 11.25 a.m.) CANBERRA, This Day. Under the Australian defence proposals the Royal Australian Air Force strength will be increased to 212 firstline machines with a full reserve. A new air base will be established at Townsville. The extended programme also provides for the establishment of a defence base for the mobile naval and air forces at Port Moresby. Mr G. A. Street, Minister of Naval, Military and Air Defence, made it clear that the soul of Australia’s defence preparations lay in co-ordination with the British Navy. "We look to Britain in an emergency to station at Singapore a fleet of sufficient strength to safeguard Empire interests in the eastern hemisphere,” he said. “There has been much loose talk about the recent crisis proving that this could not be done. On the contrary the Government had sound grounds to be reassured on this point.” The Treasurer, Mr R. G. Casey, announced that to complete the financing j of the programme substantial borrow- | ing would be necessary, including the raising of moneys on the London market. Subsequently a Bill was introduced to authorise the borrowing of an additional £10,000,003 for defence.