AUSTRALIA’S DEFENCE

Southland Times, Issue 19515, 15 May 1922, Page 5

AUSTRALIA’S DEFENCE

SUBSTANTIAL RETRENCHMENT MORE MONEY FOR CIVIL AVIATION (By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright.) (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) SYDNEY, May 13. Mr Hughes announced his Defence policy at Mullumbimby. He stated that the estimates had been framed on a basis providing for a total reduction of £1,750,000 below the estimated expenditure of 1921. Reductions had been made possible by the Washington decisions. Limited defence measures were necessary, provision was being made for manufacturing munitions, but with a reduced output, so that a nucleus of defence organisations would exist to be amplified in case of emergency. The Government intended to use the 12-inch guns belonging to the warship Australia for strengthening the coastal defence. A number of vessels in the Australian Fleet would be placed in the reserve, also the submarine flotilla. The personnel of the latter would be retained and distributed among the vessels in commission, to be available if necessary. There would be great reductions in the army. It was proposed to abolish the Junior Cadet training. Cadets in future would be trained between the ages of sixteen and eighteen, and then pass into the militia service ceasing at twenty. Everything had been reduced to practically twenty-five per cent, of the war strength. Compensation would be paid to soldiers retired, unless absorbed into other Government departments. The Air Service for the present would be reduced from four squadrons to one, but the civil aviation vote would be increased.