'A splash of colour amid the pro-dominant drab khaki background wag provided by the uniformed girls of the Australian Army nursing service, "A few of these girls expressed disappointment that they had not deen able to join their colleagues on duty in the Middle East.
Seemingly endless streams of Aus~ tralian troops, all" well equipped, filed down from the transports nearby special railway trains. The ow reinforcements are being transported immediately by train arious undisclosed destinations in Malaya, At their now bases, the 'Australian forces will be joined by British who will act guides to the Aussies until the latter Become accustomed to their new. surroundings, 'The new forces comprise. infantry' and all auxiliary units. They are. equipped with the most modern howitzers and anti-tank guns. The: Australians brought their own me-:
Singapore, Feb. 20.
Arrival of Australian troops yesterday in Singapore re-assures: Ma-Jaye of security, an official spokesman said last night, The troops, which completed disembarkation early in the morning, will be distributed to various points in Malaya.
"Melaya now has much more reas son to feel secure with these men here, the spokesman said. "Australia, has reason to feel proud of her sons playing a prominent part.-in the Empire's dofence—frst in "Groat Enitain, secondly in the Middle Cost ud now in East Asia'
Meanwhile, Lieutenant-General_ Gordon Bennet, Commanding Omtcer of the troops, announced the "boys from down under" were in Malayz "on serious business "We are here on serious business," ho said in a radio broadcast, "An strations consider Singapore en out-ost of Australia and therefore we feel we are helping to defend Austrata.
"Our men have been trained es storm troops and T can safely. they will fight as their fathers fought at Gallipoli, in France end in Pales tine and a5 their, brothers recently fought in Libya, "To the people of Malaya 1 say your war is our wer and should any enemy come to Malaya, Austral= fans "will be there."—United Press,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.