Probably few visitors to Australia would ¢xpect to be shown first of all modern steel works or to be told that Australia produces 12 per cent, as much steel as Britain. But this war, like the last one, is forcing this great sheep-raising and wheat-growing continent to become as industrially selt-sufficient as possible, and the steel plant, opened in 1915, is being expanded, since now it supplies most of Australia's needs for industry and defence.
We import aluminum, magnesium and machine tools, though, we are beginning to make tools, said Essing-ton Lewis, managing director.of the Broken Hill works, who is the principal industrialist in Australia and Director General of Munitions. We can make almost anything up to a battleship.
The new aircraft works at Melbourne makes Pratt-Whitney engines and indeed entire aeroplanes. We make anti-aircraft guns and Brenn guns and soon may make tanks.
Asked about the possibilities of mass production of aircraft, Mr. Lewis said precision work is' done, but that precision machinery is not yet made here. Machine tools, some alloys and electrical equipment are brought from the United States.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.