Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-08-30
TO MAKE OWN ARMS
Australians Going to Build Gun
Factories.
LEGlSLATUREVOTES MONEY
Ammunition Also to Be Made at
Home.
BIG CORNER IN SAIL0RMEN
Shipowners Blackmailed and Ne
farious Practice of "Crimping"
Goes Merrily On.
LEGlSLATUREVOTES MONEY
BIG CORNER IN SAILORMEN
Spe,ial Cahlcgram TO The Star.

Special Cablegram to The Stsr
SYDNEY. n. s w. August 3.-Aus-
tralia has decided to manufacture her
own rifles and ammunition. In the clos
ing days of last session the federal house
of representatives voted sum for the
establishment OF cordite and small arms
factories.
The former is to be located on the Salt
water river, near Melbourne, where an
area of 80 acres has been selected 1t is
estimated that the maximum capacity OF
the works will he about lao tons
of cordite per annum. although the
actual output is likely 10 be very
much less. The traditional policy of en-
rloying Australians will be followed as
far as possible. but the minister of de-
Tense has announced his intention of i'm
porting a few skilled men for the more
technical operations. The small arms fac
tory il to be established iii LithgOw.
near the works where Australian iron is
being produced. The machinery Is to be
of the most mod rn type and will be
capable of producing $1,000 rifles a year.
II is hoped that both factories Will be
in operation about eighteen months hence.
In various quarters the opinion Is eX-
pressed that the establishment of these
works has been delayed quite long enough.
1t has been felt that the entire depend
ence OF the commonwealth upon external
sources for the means of defense was I'M
desirable, If not dangerous. The Sydney
Mail thus sums up the situation: when
we have these factories the patriotic Aus
tralian will breathe little easier. While
we are dependent upon the outside WORLD
for guns and ammunition our position is
serious beyond all eXaggeration. Even
the half-bar barous Ameer of AfGhanistan
has his small and big gun factories, with
the supplementary machinery for turning
out the requisite ammunition for both.
and the spectacle Of community SO far
advanced in civilization as the common
wealth, so Self-assertive i'm its policy to-
ward powerful alien races and so iso-
lated from auxiliary nations, without the
appliances to make even the small arms
and cartridges for its slender forces, was
one of almost mdniacal folly. That, with
such tremendous preparations for war
apparent almost everywhere else this
commonwealth should have spent seven
years wrangiing over domestic problems
and hoity-toity politics, over matters and
'potters, instead of providing for itself
the primary essentials of self defense, IL
1ustrates in a remarkable way the gam
bling spirit of the Australian people
which thus lightly staked what was moth
ing less than national existence against
the chances OF war.
Regulations creating Australian
volunteer automobile corps have been
proved by the governor general in cOun-
Gil. and have been issued to the officers
commanding in the various states Steps
Will at once be taken to bring into being
this latest addition to the defensive forces
of the commonwealth.
Corner in Sailors.
What is described as conner in sailors
has been established at Newcastle. New