AUSTRALIA’S DEFENCE VOTE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21978, 13 June 1933, Page 11

AUSTRALIA’S DEFENCE VOTE

BIG INCREASE LIKELY STRENGTHENING ALL ARMS. (From Our Own Correspondent.) SYDNEY, June 1. It is apparent now that denials given some time ago to various stories concerning the possibility of an increase in the Commonwealth defence vote were a little premature, to say the least of them. It is known definitely now that comprehensive plans for the strengthening of Australia's defences, extending over the next five years, are being considered. An expenditure during the next financial year of £4,000,000 is being contemplated. This would be an increase of £1,000,000 on the amount spent during the current year, but the actual amount cannot be' definitely fixed until the Budget as a whole is decided upon. During the term of office of the BrucePage Government a five-year programme of defence development was decided upon, embracing the army, the navy, and the Air Force. The financial stringency brought about by the depression forced Australia, in common with other countries, to make a drastic curtailment of the defence expenditure, and the five-year plan had to be abandoned before 1 it was completed. Had the plan been carried out in its entirety Australia would have had to find annually £6,000,000, or nearly £1 a head of its population, for the maintenance of its defence forces, which was recognised as impossible during times of depression. A general survey of the position is now being attempted in an endeavour to determine what sum Australia can afford to spend in the next five years to bring its defences to a reasonable state of efficiency, and to maintain them in that condition. When the financial aspect of the problem has been fully examined a programme of development for a period of five years will be laid down. _ The first portion of the programme will be carried out during the year 1933-34. Particular attention is being devoted to the expenditure that will be necessary to place Australia’s home defences m a reasonable state of efficiency. It is realised by the Commonwealth that the armaments at every coastal port are in urgent need of improvement, and that guns of a more modern type and with a longer range are necessary. All the forts are to be improved in turn. The permanent military garrisons ate to be strengthened by the gradual but steady increase in the personnel over a period of years. Every endeavour is to be made to maintain the numbers of the militia forces and to increase them from about 20,000 to 30,000. In view of the financial stringency no immediate increase in the existing rate of pay of 4s a_ day will be made, nor is there any intention to reintroduce compulsory military _ training, which was abolished by the Scullin Labour Government. . The need for increasing the Royal Australian Air Force will lead to a request for a larger vote for that branch of the service, but it is realised that at the present time it would be impossible to adopt all the suggestions that were made to the Government some years ago by Sir John Salmond. All that is likely to be attempted is the replacement of the machines that have been lost in recent years. From a strength of 36 the Wapiti planes have fallen to about 25 in number. so 11 new planes will be required at least. An improved type of Wapiti, known as the Hart Wapiti, is likely to be selected for the replacements, and half a dozen Bulldog planes now in the service will be retained. One of the greatest difficulties in regard to Air Force development is that any increase in the number of machines will involve an increase in the hangar accommodation, and in the accommodation for the pilots. The existing accommodation is barely sufficient for present-day requirements.. The first steps to be taken in the next financial year to improve the Royal Australian Navy will be, as announced by the Prime Minister last week, the replacement of the present destroyer flotilla, by a flotilla leader, H.M.S. Stuart, and the four class destroyers to be lent to Australia .by the British Admiralty. The replacement of the Commonwealth’s two cruisers, the Australia and the Canberra, will be undertaken later. The Adelaide and the Brisbane will also have to be replaced later. The addition to the Australian Navy of vessels of 7000 tons of the Leander type is at present under consideration. Of the probable increase of £1,000,000 in the defence vote for next year, a considerable portion will be absorbed by the construction of a sloop for the navy. This sloop will be built at the Cockatoo dockyards in Sydney, and, as with all Australian shipbuilding jobs, will be long and expensive. It will cost about £200.000. and is not likely to be completed inside two years. Evidently the navy is in no hurry for this sloop. It could be built in England in a third of the time and at little more than half the cost.