Evening star., 1941-12-28
Australia Places
Reliance in j. s.,
Premier Declares
Curtin Refuses to Regard
Conflict in Pacific as
Side Issue to Europe
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
MELBOURNE, Australia, Dec. 27.
Prime Minister John Curtin oe-
clared in an article written for the
Melbourne Herald today that Aus
tralia refuses to regard the war in
the Pacific as a side issue to the war
in Europe and places her chief re-
lance in the United States.
Il make it clear that Australia
looks to America, free from any
pangs about our traditional links OF
friendship to Britain" he said.
I'VE know Britain's problems. We
know her constant threat is in
vasion. We know the dangers of
dispensing strength-but we know
that Australia can go and Britain
still will hold on.
I'VE are determined that Aus
tralia shall not go. We shall exert
our energy toward shaping a plan,
with the United States as It's key
stone, giving our country confidence
and ability to hold out until the tide
Of battle swings against the enemy.
I'VE refuse to accept the dlctum
that the Pacific struggle is a sub
ordinate segment of the general con-
f1ict. The Government regards the
Pacific struggle as primarily one in
which the United States and Aus
tralia should have the fullest say in
the direction of the fighting plan"
Pacific War Held Desperate.
The Prime Minister of this
dominion of the British Empire
spoke out in apparent disagreement
with views widely expressed in Lon
don and in some quarters in the
United States that the Pacific war
is less important than the war with
Hitler.
The war with Japan is not
phase in the struggle with the Axis,
he declared, but an entirely new
war.
Australia. close at hand to the new
area of conflict, must accept i'm
mense changes in her life in order
to go on TO a complete war footing,
he declared.
The attacker is so well prepared
that we start very much behind
scratch" he said.
The government, he added, is
shaping its policy toward obtain
ing Russian aid and working out a
plan of strategy with the United
States, China, the Dutch and
Britain.
Before the war broke out in the
Far East, he said, Australia had
tried TO get British-Russian
agreement for defense against a
japanese attack, but this was then
wrongly regarded as premature"
Can exchange telegraph dis
patch to London quoted him as
saying his point of view was very
we'll understood in places where
it should be understood" and that
he saw no possibility of going to
Washington
Halls Brooke -Popham's Removal
W. M. Hughes, former Prime Min
lister, declared that thus far our
defenses give way like Aunt Sally's
in a skittle (bowling) alley" and
said the displacement of Sir Robert
Brooke-Popham, Far Eastern COM
mander in chief. was "belated." -
Mr.. Hughes, who is leader of the
United Australia party and mem
Der of the Advisory War Council,
said the change was "a repetition
OF the incompetence in all these
things-in the Libyan campaign, in
Greece, in Crete and now in Malaga" I"
Il am told that up until a fort
night AGO British forces in Malava
were living under what may be
/ termed peace conditions, having two
! days off per week and, in short. llv-
ing in the past and basking in re-
fulgent. fast fading CLEANS of Brit
/ ish triumphs in other wars"
A labor member of the House OF
Representatives suggested caustlcauy
that I'VE ought to get the Russians
| to lend us Gen. TimoShenko to
teach our generals how to advance
instead of retreat"