Need For Defence Forces In

Papua And New Guinea

A "Hush-Hush" Statement By Australian Prime Minister

THE usually well-informed Canberra correspondent of the “Sydney Morn ing Herald”, on May 5, said that it was likely that Australia’s defence organisa tion would be extended soon to Papua and New Guinea, and that a section of the Cabinet viewed the exposed position of those territories with increasing con cern.

The Mandated Territory may not be fortified but, it was pointed out, there was nothing to prevent the nucleus of aerial, naval and military forces being placed at Port Moresby. Air forces from Papua easily could defend New Guinea, should New Guinea be called upon to meet the first brunt of an attack from the north, towards Aus tralia.

The thing was so logical that it occa sioned no comment. Obviously, if Aus tralia does not hold the strong points in Papua, they may be seized by an enemy and used as bases against Australia, with fatal results.

But, on May 7, the Sydney “Tele graph” published this: — “The Government strongly deprecates published statements that Australia in tends to fortify Papua. The Prime Minister (Mr. Lyons) said that Aus tralia had no intention of fortifying Papua or New Guinea. Such reports, for which there was no justification, might have extremely damaging effects, he said.

“It was explained officially that the Government was most anxious not to take any action which might be seized

upon by another Power as an excuse to extend fortifications in the Pacific.

The real position is that Cabinet has never contemplated establishing de fences in Papua”.

The Prime Minister’s statement was received with amazement by many people.; and the editor of the “P.1.M.” wrote to the “Sydney Morning Herald” as follows: “Surely, it is time that sensible men and responsible newspapers challenged such utterances as those by the Prime Minister for the Commonwealth. What useful purpose can be served by such a foolish policy of ‘Hush, Hush’ ? The whole world knows that the British Empire is arming on a gigantic scale, and that one of the chief reasons for such arming is the situation in the Pacific. Australia has just announced a programme of colossal expenditure on defence. What is Australia proposing to defend herself against ? Against Antarctica ? Or against America, or against Asia?

“Every school-boy knows that the menace to Australia’s future safety and freedom lies in Asia, and that her de fence must be along her northern coasts.

It is recognised by everyone who has studied and discussed the problem (and they include some very distinguished men) that the Pacific Islands controlled by Australia and Britain—namely, Papua, New Britain, New Ireland, the Solomons, New Hebrides and Norfolk Island—lie, as if placed by Providence, in a position to be used as a protective

barrier for the northern and north-east ern coasts of Australia.

“Why refuse to discuss facts that are apparent to everyone? Is it not far better to permit the people of Australia to see the danger that threatens them and to ask their co-operation in the de fence plans that are now being put into operation ?

“Of course, Port Moresby must be used as an important link in Australia’s plan of defence; and, as your correspon dent has pointed out, it will be possible to use that point as a base for the aerial and naval forces which would be the first to challenge any invasion of Australian waters. Aeroplanes from Port Moresby, or other ports in Papua, could with comparative ease bring most of the Mandated Territory within their radius of operations.

“The terms of the Mandate forbid the fortification of any points in New Guinea, New Ireland, New Britain, etc., but there is nothing to prevent the prep aration of New Guinea ports for use in time of emergency—exactly as the Japanese have prepared ports in their mandated islands (Marshall, Carolines, etc.) for use under similar conditions.

“The Prime Minister suggests that nothing should be said to indicate to Japan that we regard her as a poten tial foe, and I presume that, in that case, he places certain obligations upon newspapers. How absurd that is! By almost every mail I receive journals published within and without the Brit ish Empire, in which Japan’s threat to the safety of British territory in the South Pacific is freely discussed. •‘Thousands of people, for instance, are reading that new book by Willard Price, ‘Japan Reaches Out’, which actually was partly written after Japan commenced the present war in China. In this book the likelihood of what Japan is likely to do in her thrust southwards through the Pacific, is discussed without exag geration and without apology, and facts and figures are given there, which apparently are not known to the Prime Minister—otherwise, he would not have made his ridiculous statement”.