FOR ROYAL NAVY

Waikato Independent, Volume XL, Issue 3669, 17 February 1940, Page 3

FOR ROYAL NAVY

AUSTRALIA TO BUILD SHIPS SLOOPS AND PATROL CRAFT Australia will built a number of naval vessels for Britain during the war. These will be mainly ships of the smaller type, such as sloops and coastal patrol craft, a number of which is now under construction in local dockyards for the Australian Navy. A special report is being prepared for the Commonwealth Government on the question of ship-build-ing in Australia. When this has been considered, Cabinet will frame its war-time ship-building policy. It is realised in Australia that every effort must be made to stimulate local ship-building as a matter of war necessity and an increase in the scope of the present bounty may be approved. Ship-building by the Government is unlikely. Referring to cabled reports of Britain’s plans for building merchant ships, the Prime Minister (Mr Menzies) said that the Commonwealth Government had made no statement to Britain that Australia could not or would not build ships of this type. Merchant Position Government building of merchant ships had hot been considered by Cabinet, he said, but the Minister for Commerce (Senator McLeay) had had discussions with private shipbuilding interests. Australian naval dockyards are working at full pressure. Rapid progress is being made at Cockatoo Island, Sydney, in building the first two of the three Tribal class destroyers ordered for the Royal Australian Navy at a cost of £3,521,700. Work on four small sloops for mine-sweeping has started at Wil-

liamstown, Sydney and Maryborough, and a larger sloop, the Koala is to be delivered at Sydney next month. A sister vessel to the Koqla, the Kangaroo, will be laid down soon. Escorts Nearly Ready Two escort vessels are also nearing completion at Cockatoo Island. The first of these, IH.M.A.S. Parramatta, will be ready for service in March. The second, H.M.A.S. Warrego, will be launched this month and completed before September. The two main difficulties facing Australian ship-building are high costs of production and technicians. These would definitely restrict the capacity of local production unless Britain sent technical assistance. So far the reception given the bounty for construction of vessels up to 1500 tons gross register has been disappointing. May Widen Bounty It has been hinted that Cabinet will consider widening the scope of the bounty to provide for construction of large ships. No official details have yet been issued of the results of Senator McLeay’s discussions in Adelaide. It was reported that the Broken Hill Pty. Ltd. would employ 2000 men on ship construction! at Whyalla, near jhe head of the Spencer Gulf.