Evening star., 1941-02-16
Australasia Faces
Difficult Task in
Defending Area
But Dominions Offer No
Complaint on Sending
Forces to British Isles
By CARROLL BINDER,

by CAhhOLL BINDER,
Foreign Editor of the Chicago Daily News)
SIDNEY, Australia CBy Clip
per-Geographically, Australia and
New Zealand are farther removed
from the major theaters Of war
than is the United States. AS
sovereign members of the British
Commonwealth of nations, they are
at least nominally in control of
their own foreign relations.
Yet Australia and New Zealand
declared war against Germany the
moment the United Kingdom de-
clared war. There was no debate,
not even a vote in the two parlia-
ments. Australian and New Zealand
aviators took their places alongside
the aviators of England, Scotland
and Wales lin the defense of the
British Isles and France within
short time after the outbreak of
hostilitieS
New Zealand promptly began
conscripting its youth for the de-
fense of the empire as we'll as of
the dominion. Australia conscripts
men only for home defense, but
several times as many as can be
trained or have been required to
date have volunteered for overseas
service. Anzacs, as the overseas
forces of the two Pacific outposts
of the empire are commonly de-
signated, have already distinguished
themselves in the campaigns
against Italy in Egypt and Libya.
Self-Interest Dictates.
Sentiment and self-interest have
dictated these actions Australia
and New Zealand have been settled
and developed by men and women
of British origin. Even those who
have lived in the Antipodes for
four generations still speak of the
British Isles as home" The bomb
ing Of historic landmarks in London
stirs Australasians no less than it
stirs residents of the United King
dom.
In the past Australasians have
looked to the United Kingdom for
their defense so it is natural that
they should help the United King
dom defend itself. AS things stand,
however, the United Kingdom can
not contribute much to the military
defense Of Australasia or any other
British outpoStS in the Pacific. 1t
is too hard pressed at home and in
the Mediterranean TO spare ships,
planes or men at this stage of the
war for possessions and co-partners
in the empire. however valuable
or cherished, which are 10000 miles
removed from the heart of the
empire.
If Italy is put out of the fray and
It's naval strength and that of
France immobilized or acquired by
Britain. it may be possible to di-
vert some of the British naval forces
to the defense of British interests
in the Southwestern Pacific and the
Far East. But just now that is
not feasible so that the defense not
only of their own vast territories but,
to considerable extent, the defense
of all other British territories and
interests in the Pacific such as the
Singapore base, the Malay States,
Burma and the like rests with Aus
tralia and New Zealand.
Defense Task Is Difficult.
When it is remembered that Ger
many has managed to keep in mo-
ton a dozen or more effective sea
raiders in the Southwestern Pacific
and that this time Japan is an ally
instead of an enemy of Germany,
the defense task of Australia and
New Zealand can be more ade-
quately appreciated.
While it is true that Australia
alone is as large as continental
United States, its population is no
larger than that of New York City
100000 people. They are scat
tered over a territory which runs
1000 miles from north to south and
5000 miles from east to west.
Australia is the continental land
mass and the central core of a
region, mostly south of the Equator,
which includes not only New Zea-
land but Malaga, the Dutch East
Indies, New Guinea, the New Heb
rides, New Caledonia, FIJI and
about a thousand islands of as
sorted sizes and strategic and eco
nomic Importance.
Richard G. Casey. the able Aus
tralian Minister to the United States,
is fond of reminding Americans
that from this part of the world
the United States gets:
Seventy-fve per cent of its tin.
Eighty-five per cent of its rubber.
All of its quinine.
All of its tea.
The United States imports $780,