AUSTRALIAN TROOPS

Waikato Times, Volume 125, Issue 20951, 2 November 1939, Page 7

AUSTRALIAN TROOPS

APPEAL FOR HELP

COMMERCE RAIDERS

TO BE SENT OVERSEAS DEFENCE EXPENDITURE £59,500,000 THIS YEAR (United Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright) (Received November 2, 11a.m.) SYDNEY, Nov. 2 The Prime Minister, in the course of a statement on Australian defence matters, announced last night that the second Australian expeditionary force would definitely be sent overseas unless circumstances rendered that course impracticable. It would become the spearhead of the Australian defence organisation. The Government intended to build three Tribal class destroyers instead of two, as hitherto announced, and four local defence vessels for antisubmarine or mine-sweeping work. Defensive guns had been mounted on more than 60 oversea merchant ships. These would be competent to deal with enemy raiders likely to menace seaborne commerce.

The War Cabinet had approved of the purchase of 4000 mechanised vehicles, the cost of which, £1,500,000, would include armoured cars.

Four additional munition and armament factories are to be erected. Nineteen air squadrons will be trained by 1940. There will be a great acceleration of aircraft construction, and subject to the lifting of the neutrality embargo 100 Lockheed and Hudson planes will be purchased from the United States.

It is estimated that the expenditure on defence this year will reach the staggering total of £59,500,000.

VESSEL SIGHTS SUBMARINE CUTTER RUSHES TO SPOT NO SIGN OF SURVIVORS . Un led Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright) (Received Nov. 2, 11.40 a.m.) WASHINGTON, Nov. 1 Following the receipt of a distress signal, “ Help. Sighted submarine,” from the British freighter Coulmore, which afterwards was silent, the coastguard announced that the cutter Bibb reached the vessel’s reported position but found no sign either of the Coulmore or survivors. The Bibb reported that there was a moderate southerly gale and that she was continuing the search north- ' wards in very heavy seas. She ex- ; pects soon to contact a flying-boat J from New York and mother plane is en route, as well as four other cut- 1 ters and two merchantmen. There was a serious in the area yesterday, and earlier today a 40-mile-an-hour wind continued, ! thus making conditions perilous for i any survivors in life-boats. The Coulmore’s distress position is 100 miles within the Panama Con- : ference neutrality zone. It is reliably stated in Washington that if the Coulmore were attacked the United States will immediately consult other American republics j concerning the steps to be taken, I which might possibly result in a protest to Germany, either individually ! or collectively. White House said that cutters were instructed only to rescue survivors and gather information, which is in- | terpreted as meaning that they will . not hunt the submarine or raider. ! It is reported in Baltimore that the ' I wife of the master, Captain Ernest j Davies, is aboard the Coulmore.

BATTLESHIPS IN ATLANTIC CONFLICTING REPORTS (Official Wireless) (Received Nov. 2, 1 p.m.) RUGBY, Nov. 1 Questioned in the House of Commons about the reports that two German pocket battleships were in the Atlantic raiding commerce, Mr Winston Churchill said the evidence on all the circumstances of these raids was conflicting, but he confirmed the fact that one of the type the Deutschland had been abroad on the ocean.