FORCE FOR DARWIN

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23274, 17 February 1939, Page 11

FORCE FOR DARWIN

PROTECTION OP POET

EMBARKATION SHORTLY

AUSTRALIAN AIR ARM

DOUBLING OF PERSONNEL

By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright SYDNEY, Feb. 16

A mobile force for Darwin has been ordered to embark at Sydney for the northern port on March 9. This is almost two months earlier than was expected, although no date for the departure had been officially announced. The force, which comprises 250 men, will embark in the ships Montoro and Marella. It will bo the first time since the war that such a body of troops has left "Sydney by sea. The military authorities on October 28 announced the creation of a new mobile defence force for Darwin, con-i sisting of infantry, artillery and machine-gunners.

Under plans just completed by tho Federal Government, the personnel of the Royal Australian Air Force will be nearly doubled in the next 16 months. The Minister of Defence, Mr. G. A. Street, announces that the flying personnel of the Service at present is 204 officers and 24 airmen pilots.

CZECH MACHINE-GUNS

AUSTBALIAN PURCHASE

REPORT FROM PRAGUE MANUFACTURE OF NEW TYPE (Received February 16, 8.45 p.m.) LONDON. Feb. 16 It is reliably stated, says Reuter's Prague correspondent, that the Australian Government has pilrchased considerable quantities of the latest pattern of Czech machine-guns, and also has secured a licence for the manufacture of a new type of machine-gun reputed to be superior to the Bren gun. AIRCRAFT FOR BRITAIN DELIVERY FROM AMERICA ARRIVAL OF FIRST BATCH (Received February 16, 6.30 p.m.) British "Wireless LONDON, Feb. 15 The first batch of the 250 Lockheed Hudson general reconnaissance aircraft which are being built in the United States for the Royal Air Force arrived at Liverpool and were conveyed to the airport at Speke for final assembly and test flights. MOVE BY GERMANY ENLARGING KIEL CANAL BIGGER BATTLESHIPS POSSIBLE fr Independent Cable Service (Received February 16, 9.30 p.m.) LONDON, Feb. 16 Plans have been approved for the enlargement of the Kiel Canal by approximately doubling its width and depth, says a message from Berlin. It is estimated the work will cost £40,000,000 and will occupy several years. The canal is at present negotiable by 35,000-ton battleships, and there is speculation whether the decision means that Herr Hitler contemplates building 45,000-ton ships. JAPAN'S HUGE BUDGET EXPENDITURE ON ARMS (Received February 16, 5.5 p.m.) TOKIO, Feb. 15 Supplementing the Budget of £215,000,000, of which one-third is for the Army and Navy, states the Asahi Shimbun, an additional £600,000,000 will probably be required by a special military budget and a general supplementary budget, which will be submitted to the Diet shortly.