AUSTRALIA'S DEFENCE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19236, 27 January 1926, Page 11

AUSTRALIA'S DEFENCE.

'' STARVATION POLICY." ALL BRANCHES VERY WEAK. INADEQUATE PROVISION MADE. [FROM OUR, OWN CORRESPONDENT.] SYDNEY, Jan. 15. Australians have earned, fairly or unfairly, a reputation for casualness. Recent investigations oi the stato of Australian defences have led an expert, who wishes to remain anonymous, to the conclusion that the people of tho Commonwealth have displayed this casualness in the affairs surrounding tho safeguarding of this island continent. He may, perhaps. be pessimistic, but at the same time he shows that tho defences are totally inadequate and that a starvation policy is being followed. He believes that after a quarter of a century of changing policies and immense capital outlay, the defences are in such a lamentably weak state that few people would sleep quietly in their beds if they were aware of the true position. This, he says, is known only to tho various staffs. In his opinion the weakness of the Air Force in machines, equipment and trained airmen, the obsolescent stale of the fleet, poverty-stricken condition of the military forces present an accumulated result of neglect and starvation which is causing serious concern to tho Federal Government's technical advisers. According to this expert, tho annual reports of the Inspector-General of the Forces make a recurring tale of woe, and it is no secret that tho military chiefs despair of ever being able to convinco tho Government or persuade tho people of the alarming weakness of the military forces, equipment aud munitions, lie makes it clear that at this moment there nro not 500 trained permanent men, excluding the staff and instructional personnel, for tho military defence of Australia. He regards the citizen force training us "grossly inadequate." Shortage of Munitions. Cainps are restricted and technical instructions for officers and N.C.O.'s is neglected for sheer want of funds. This branch of the servico is at a standstill, no annua! progress being possible, and though-tho training of officers and N.C.O.'s is far moro important than that of the rank and file, this vital aspect of defence is neglected because there is no money available. The shortage of munitions is a constant nightmare to those responsible and a menace to the country. All three services are short of equipment, and reserve supplies are not being accumulated in sufficient quantities,

Regarding tho Navy tho expert says: " Similar financial stringency prevails. To such an extent has this cheese-paring policy been carried that, a position is arising when either moro funds must bo made available, or tho Navy must close down certain of its activities. Ships are laid up instead of being at sea, fuel is rationed, restricting tho ships' movements, tho works programme has been cut to tho bone, a proper rcservo of supplies, coal and munitions is not being built up, and present reserves are being consumed, The forthcoming expansion of the fleet, when tho two new cruisers and two submarines havo been completed, necessitates adequate provision of these essential supplies, which is nofc being made. The vitality of the fieet is choked and deadened by a parsimony which is equalled in tho military forces atid excelled in the Air Force." Not Enough Aeroplanes. The expert states that in tho event of urgent necessity not- 40 effective fighting air machines could bo put into tho field, whereas " adequate" defence of this country requires moro than double that number. Similar deficiencies in ground, organisation, i workshops and personnel weaken tho effective strength of tho force, which is already much below its Relative strength in proportion to tho other two services. A eirious aspect of this starvation policy is tho atmosphere of depression pervading headquarters in Melbourne. Tho naval, military and air staffs, highlytrained, enthusiastic officers, with a livojj sense of responsibility, work in an atmosphere of gloomy depression,"anil the position is becoming moro strained daily. On<j result of this has been tho loss of some of these highly-trained officers, who, sickened by tho dead end which seems to face them in the military, seek an outlet by re-entering civil life. Recently, two brilliant A.I.F. men, both of whom held high staff positions—-Brigadier-General H. Lloyd and Brigadier-General T. Blarney—resigned, tho former taking a position with an American oil company and the latter becoming police commissioner in Victoria.