The effect of the steps taken by the government for the defence of Australia is that there are more men in erms in Australia than ever before in history and a greater reserve of trained young men ready for immediate mobilization should this become necessary.
The military effort being made for the home defence of Australia is one that has called for all the organizing capacity available. Care has had to be taken to avoid any unnecessary dislocation of civilian life and to provide for the daily increasing needs of war-time industry. Further, in Australia, just as in Great Britain the emphasis of the effort. will necessarily change in accordance with changes in the war situation. It may well be that the turn of events may at one time make the most important part of the task, the manufacture of munitions, at, another the reinforcement of the ALF. abroad, at another the production of primary produce. he effort must be flexible so as to meet any demands, But it will never be left out of account that one of the vital factors in the defence programme is to make Australia herself secure against aggression from whatever quarter.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.