NOT PRACTICABLE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 9 August 1939, Page 5

NOT PRACTICABLE

PURCHASE OF BATTLESHIPS FROM AMERICA SIR E. PAGE’S PROPOSAL IN AUSTRALIA. FEDERAL PRIME MINISTER'S COMMENTS. ' By Telegraph-—Press Association —Copyright, SYDNEY. August 8. The federal leader of the Country Party .Sir Earle Page, today proposed that Australia should purchase immediately two battleships from America, which should he based either a 1 Singapore or the new naval dock in Sydney. This would bring the cost of the Commonwealth defence programme to £lOO.000.000. The Prime Minister, Mr. R. G. Menzies, commenting, said the proposal was not practicable. He added: "The Government is not obliged to subordinate its considered judgment to the effervescent enthusiasm of Sir Earle Page. Mr.'Menzies said that one battleship would involve a convoy of attendant vessels in addition to a dock and special stores for ammunition. The cost of two batleships would be £30,000.000 some of the attendant vessels being common to both.

The Australian Government had already been informed that no battleship sould be delivered to Australia before 1943.

“I can hardly take Sir Earle Page’s proposal seriously, since he must know that the United States is fully occupied in spending vast sums on the development of her own defence programme,” he added. NO SHIPS AVAILABLE OPINION IN WASHINGTON. WASHINGTON, August 8. Sir Earle Page’s proposal has aroused interest. Official comment is not yet available, but it is believed that the United States’ own requirements would not allow her to sell units of her existing fleet. Congress is unlikely to regard favourably a proposal to build ships for Australia, as the Government dockyards are jammed by the greatest peace time naval construction programme in the United States’ history. This was the objection when a Bill was tabled in the last session seeking approval for the construction of warships for South American republics.