AUSTRALIA EXPECTS MORE TROOPS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 88, Issue 36, 12 February 1944, Page 5

AUSTRALIA EXPECTS MORE TROOPS

INCREASED SUPPLIES Recd. 6 p.m. Canberra, Feb. 11. More fighting men would tome to Australia, and Australia’s resources must be developed so that everything possible could be supplied to these troops and uneconomic use of transport avoided, Mr. Curtin said in the House of Representatives, when discussing the war in the Pacific, of which he said the outcome was sure, although they could not count on an easy victory. Mr. Curtin urged that the scale of Australia’s military efforts would have an important bearing on the country’s status at the peace table; therefore a minimum existed, below which the country’s military effort could not be permitted to fall. A new reallocatic/.i of manpower was being considered, but the Government was determined that the army should not be treated as a reserve of manpower, to be drawn on to maintain civilian services at the expense ol thb offensive against Japan. In the Pacific theatre, added Mr. Curtin, the balance of results in the 1 submarine warfare was heavily in favour of the Allies. Enemy submarine activity had been relatively ineffective and Australian waters had been free from submarine attack for some months. Although the general shipping problem had improved, amphibious made great demands on available resources, and no substantial increase of shipping in the Pacific could be anticipated until Germany was defeated. AUSTRALIAN CASUALTIES. Mr. Curtin announced the latest Australian casualty lists. The total casualties for the three services from the outbreak of war until December 31, 1943, was 66,930, of whom 16,480 had been killed. In the war against Japan Australian casualties were 36,600, of whom 4500 had been killed, 7500 wounded, and 1990 were prisoners of war, and 4700 were missing. Australian battle casualties in New Guinea were 10,470, of whom 3290 were killed.