AUSTRALIA’S PART

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 84, Issue 95, 24 April 1940, Page 5

AUSTRALIA’S PART

DEFENCE IN THE PACIFIC Received April 23, 6.5 p.m. WASHINGTON, April 22. Major George Fielding Elipt, a military writer, who also served with the A.I.F. in the World War, expressed the opinion that a Pacific alliance between Britain, America, and the Netherlands would be ineffective because Britain and Holland at present have no freedom of action. He advoeated instead an agreement with Australia, and added that if the United States htd. the support of Australian bases and loaned money to improve them ii might be in a better position in the Pacific. Major Eliot, said: "Australia and America are in much the same boat. Australia could supply military, naval and air bases lor the United States and contribute funds for their construction a. >i main enance. The United States is very interested in Far Eastern supplies of rubber ana tin.’ Major Eliot paid a tribute to the effectiveness of the British Navy, and said he believed the Allies held the advantage in Norway because they were able to transport troops and supplies and to challenge the Germans. Hitler's attempts to maintain sea communications to Scandinavia were disastrous. The British were effectively interrupting communications across the Skagerrt-k. where it was useless for- Britain to risk using capital ships. It is inofrmatively stated that Major Eliot is a native of New York. He went to Australia with his parents at the age of eight and he enlisted with the Australian Imperial Forces in the Great War and participated in the actions at the Dardanelles and West Front. He was commissioned a major in the United States Army Reserve Corps in 1928.