Show Australia Country of Fighting Men Faces Greatest Struggle in History Land Down Under Welcomes Yank Assistance By CLIFF LANGE Released by western Newspaper er Union Australia the last practical Allied base for attack against the Japs is similar to the United States both in size and I attitude of its people It wasn't but a few years ago 1939 1938 that Australia celebrated its anniversary sary But now it is girding and ready for a battle to the death against the foe creeping down from the north engulfing all territories and peoples before it like the Biblical deluge Most of Australia's inhabitants inhabitants inhabitants tants are arc of British extrac extrac- tion But in spirit the Aus ClAus sies are arc just as American as they arc are British The welcome given to American troops upon upon upon up up- on their arrival there the demand demand demand de de- de- de mand for General MacArthur to lead the Allied forces in the fighting zone all clearly show the attitude of the Austra Austra- lians Australia's population Is spread over almost square miles of territory as ns compared with the United States States' total of at population In approximately the same amount of at space I Australia n. n like our state of at Georgia Georgia Georgia Geor Geor- gia was first fiut settled by English con That both oth groups did a good Job Is evidenced by today's far far- reaching developments Today most Australians live within with in a narrow mile mlle coastal belt along the south and east enst About half halt of at the population Is In the Ule h nations nation's na a- a tion's half dozen largest cities Sydney Sydney Syd Syd- ney having a million and a quarter inhabitants Is the largest Melbourne Mel Mel- bourne with a n little more than a n million Is next largest Both of at these cities are practically at the Ule opposite end of ot the continent from tram Darwin which has been bombed re re- Vital Defense From Darwin to the above mentioned mentioned men men- metropolitan cities it is little littlemore littlemore littlemore more than 1500 air Canberra ra rn the nations nation's year old ma to order capital capitol is located about miles mUes southwest of ot Sydney on the to Toad d Melbourne to Australia's transportation system now playing a very important part purt partIn In the nations nation's defense and ond coming corning com corn ing offense otTense is peculiar in that many of ot the railway lines extending inland come to an abrupt end It wasn't until but n a few tew years ago that the railway extending southward from tram Darwin was Connected connected con can by a defense highway with the railroad extending northward from tram Adelaide to Alice Springs Tills This road rand is the artery through which Australia supplies men and materials materi als ala to the northern battle scene With the exception of ot most of the coastal regions the greater part of at Australia's central territory is flat arid and and semi arid land which is practically defenseless More than thana a third of it is actual desert It is In the semi arid zones that the nations nation's nations nation's na tion's vast scattered ranches and large grain producing centers arc are located As the huge stretches of ot land located here are ure Irrl irrigated this section of Australia will be te one of the most fertile zones when the Ule war is ended As for tor natural resources the na na- r siY f q yx I i 40 Y s t n Sandy E f ti L L b. b U S 'S 1 R A L I A rt s. s wr rT r r k ti p H I Fk fh R r t S Y f i i y k N d f rr r Y rt ff rr rr v r r a 1 ii Esk X 4 iw Map Mop by SUR ataa The above uncompleted railroad line the center of 01 the Australian continent connected In Its central part art by the Defense highway highway high high- I way Is III the Important artery of 01 war which will be mentioned quite often orten 1 In future war dispatches dispatcheR from Irom there tion has everything needed for war activity except oil all The oil Industry Is a recent development and not very encouraging Insofar as ns amounts produced Last years year's production totaled only a few hundred barrels The European war curtailed agricultural agricultural agri agri- cultural and grazing activities but operated to speed up the Ule nations nation's expanding factory life lite Towards the middle of ot 1030 there were nearly plants employing more than titan thana titana a half million people Reports since then have not been made public As gold helped considerably to develop develop de de- California its discovery In Australia helped to open up vast territories there Utere It was first discovered discovered dis dis- dis covered in 1843 and the tile influx of at prospectors raised the population in seven years from around to more than thun A story is told about an Australian who crossed the Pacific to take part In the California gold rush While prospecting In California he ho noticed that the Ule gold bearing rock and soil solI of at that state had a marked resemblance to terri teal tory he had seen in his native land lIe He found his hunch to be correct when he returned there to prospect The Commonwealth of ot Australia Is a self governing nation sharing allegiance along with the Ute other British dominions to the British king The Commonwealth is hI comprised com corn I f of ot six col colonies called Original nal States They are pre New South Wales Queensland South Australia Victoria Western Australia and the Island of at Tasmania plus Tasmania plus the Northern Northern Northern North North- ern Territory and the Ule Canberra Capital Capital Capi- Capi tal Territory It wasn't until 41 years ago that the six original states status united to form torm forma a n commonwealth Up to that time there here had been m many Interstate state quarrels some quarrels some of them going so far tar faras faras taras as to create trade barriers against each other Preparing Since 38 The Australian federal government government govern govern- ment is similar to our own in its many ways It has hus a senate and a house of at representatives Jn n case of at a prolonged disagreement with the house louse the Ule senate can cnn be dissolved dissolved dis dis- dis solved and und a new one elected The house louse too can cun be dissolved under certain exceptional circumstances A governor general representing general representing the Ule king of England England Is Is the executive executive tive head bend of the Ule government Since the Ule Inception of ot the Ule Labor party part in 1838 1938 the Ule government has been vigorously building up lip the mu mu- y y- y r r 1 t iv When Australia raised the lie age ag limit fur nt to la 10 40 years the these I Imen men mea were among the tube many who answered the call to light fight for lor the Hie moth motherland erland Shown hero here are veterans of 01 World War I who look took part In la Inthe lathe i the fierce lighting with the Germans Germani in io France j I and Industries and expanding Its land and air forces In 1038 1938 on down to the present day the government government gov gov- as part of at its national defense defense de de- policy has been urging the manufacture of at fuel oil all and gasoline from Its own coal and the creation of large plants for the manufacture of at Industrial alcohol At no time during the Twentieth century has this spunky nation deluded deluded de de- de I itself as os to what country was wasI I its coming enemy Trouble which all Australians saw on the southwest Pacific horizon had hod been brewing ever since 1935 1035 In that year the tariff laws which gave a marked preference to Great Britain in the sale of ot cotton goods in Australia Japanese markets were practically smashed As a result the Japs Japa virtually vir vin boycotted Australian wool In retaliation Today the Australians are arc fully tully aware of how correct they were In their assumptions concerning the over ambitious Japanese Today this scrappy little nation that cov coy I r 5 1 S d h Prime Minister of Australia John Curtin who recently clashed with Willi the London government over the th selection of 01 Australians who take part In Imperial government affairs ered itself Itsell with glory in World War WarI I is ready for a repeat performance perform perform- ance The are arc determined that their nation shall shull remain as they have always had hind it It-a It a land lund of Individualists rugged rued and ond a a land free from the Ule imprint of ofa a tyrants tyrant's heel Still Has a Frontier Spirit The Yankees down under In Australia at least miles from their native lund land will be learning much about the and the theland theland theland land they Ully are arc helping to defend True the Yank will have time to absorb but little of ot the past history of at the Ule nation lie He will however learn all about present day Australia Austra Austra- lia for tor the Missies in addition to being excellent fighters are arc definitely definite definite- ly Iy proud of their native land without being intensively nationalistic The Yank Yunk will understand the spirit of ot the country by remembering remember remember- ing that Australia today today outside outside of ofUs Its Us metropolitan cities has cities has the same frontier spirit which lived Jived in the United States about 50 years ago The average American citizen and the average American soldier associates associates asso asso- Australia with kangaroos early experiments in social legislation legisla- legisla tion a a national scourge of at rabbits and some sonic remarkably courageous lighting fighting men who vho covered themselves them selves with glory battling the Germans Ger Ger- Germans mans during dining World War I 1 I Then the Yanks will see that the I cities are just us as modern modem as those in the United States The East and West least coasts of the Ule United States Slates where the majority of large cities clUes are located is somewhat like the east and south coasts of Australia where the most important cities such as Sydney Melbourne Adelaide Ade aide laide Brisbane and Maryborough are situated They will show the Yanks that despite despite despite de de- spite their arming to the Ule hilt hUt they arent aren't by nature warriors nor do doUley they Uley have disturbing aspirations to tobe tobe tobe be such saber rattling people I |