An interesting development in Australian army organization is the decision of the Government to establish a small, highly-mobile, standing army. Australia's defence on land has always been based on a volunteer army. Training for this was previously compulsory, but since 1929 training has been provided by enlistment in a volunteer militia. Coastal forts have been manned by professional soldiers, but the total strength of these garrisons is re-natively small. fiii gz ik lished at central points.
The first type chosen for production under this scheme is understood to be the latest British two-engine bomber. This will be produced in sufficient" for Australian also to equip units of the Force at Singapore, Hong-other stations in the Far The new organization is designed to afford prompt reinforcement of any garrison in the event of an enemy attack, pending the concentration of the volunteer forces. Hence the intention to make the unit as mobile as possible, and it will be fully mechanized. The scheme appears to be a useful compromise between the views of those who consider a permanent army essential, and those who consider that a powerful standing army introduces a dangerous element into national politics. and provision will be made for the planes With the development of the aircraft and similar industries there will be a greatly increased demand for These now to produce aluminium locally. So it is in nearly every phase of industry.
Meanwhile coastal garrisons are being strengthened, and the fortification of Darwin in the far north is proceeding rapidly. The military garrison there consists of recruits enlisted and trained for service in the tropics under special conditions. The first contingent has arrived in Darwin. They are a remarkable body of men, averaging six feet in height, and, chosen from a surfeit of volunteers, they include a number of professional men, university graduates and men of high technical qualifications of various kinds.
Darwin, however, has not been on armaments but on industrial independence.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.