Papua

Defence Activity In Papua Pt. Moresby as Important Base

IT is expected that the Australian Minister for Defence, Mr. Street, will visit Port Moresby some time in July to inspect the defence works that haye been established there. He probably will travel by air.

Admiral Sir Charles Colvin, head of the Australian Naval Board, called at Port Moresby and inspected the defence works there in June, while on his way to Darwin and Singapore in the Aus tralian destroyer “Swan”.

So rapidly has the defence organisation proceeded in Port Moresby and Papua that it is a little difficult to follow all that has been, and is being done. Brief summary: A military road has been built at the top of Paga hill, overlooking the port, and guns have been placed on top of the hill.

A considerable detachment of the Royal Australian Artillery has been es tablished in Port Moresby.

A military aerodrome, about seven miles from the town, has been selected and is now being surveyed.

A squadron of Short Sunderland flying boats —so big and powerful that they are called “flying battleships’’—has been selected for service at Port Moresby, and a survey of the harbour is now being made so that necessary accommodation will be provided for them.

Port Moresby is being fitted out as a fuelling and provisioning base for units of the Australian Navy.

Buildings to serve as permanent bar racks for members of the naval, mili tary, and air force are being proceeded with.

Steps are being taken to form a native labour service corps in quarters at Pt.

Moresby.

Native Labour Corps

THE plan to form a military labour corps in Papua, which would co-op erate with the Europeans in the defence of the Territory, is receiving serious consideration.

It is thought that platoons could be formed under the supervision of Gov ernment officers in the various districts; that non-commissioned officers from the well-trained Papuan Army Constabulary

should be loaned to the new corps for the purpose of training; and that the chief duty of the labour corps would be to provide military fatigue, and the con struction and maintenance of military works. The whole corps would be under military discipline; and the members would be supplied with a simple uniform and carefully trained after the manner of the armed constabulary. It is thought that service for one year would be suffi cient, but at the end of that time some of the men would certainly re-engage.

The rest would go into a reserve and be called up periodically for training.