Evening star., 1942-02-17
Australia 10 Mobilize
Entire Resources
For Defense
War Cabinet Is Directed
To Toke Needed Steps;
Curtin Issues Warning
Ex the Associated Press.

SYDNEY, Australia, Feb. IT,
Prime Minister John Curtin an
nounced today the war cabinet
had been directed to mobilize all
human and material resources In
Australia for the defense Of the
commonwealth against the jap
anese.
The Prime Minister said the full
federal cabinet had instructed the
war cabinet to issue the necessary
regulations.
Australia was put on q full war
| footing in answer to Mr.. Curtin s
call for mobilization OF the island
continents man power and re-
sources.
That means clearly and specif-
ically that every human being in
this country Is now at the service
Of the government to work for the
defense Of Australia. he said in q
mobilization statement.
only two things stand between
us and the overthrow of everything
We have and hope to have. These
are the heroism and fighting power
of our men going to battle and the
industry. zeal and devotion of the
men left behind"
Allied Works Council Set Up.
The federal cabinet, meanwhile,
set up an Allied Works Council
under the control of E. G.. Theodore,
former federal treasurer. He will
be known as the director general
OF the Allied Works Council and will
have more power than any other Of
ficial except the director general of
munitions, Essington Lewis.
Mr.. Curtin announced that Sena-
tor j. M. Fraser. Minister of Ex-
ternal Territories, had been ap-
pointed assistant army minister.
In his statement Of mobilization
Mr.. Curtin said:
We have reached the stage when
new way OF life Is impelled on us.
All your leisure now-whether due
to industrial regulation or your for
tunate position-must be devoted to
the service ~ your fellow men. - I.
The challenge has been flung
down. Adversely has never cowed
you. overwhelming odds have never
intimidated you and today 1 call
on you to invoke all the best quail
ties OF your ancestry. 60 forth to
the workshop and factory to work
there as long as you can stand"
Large-Scale Attack Feared.
The realistic residents OF this vast
outpost OF empire were convinced
that Australia may at any time
face 1arge-scale attack by sea and
air and they girded themselves for
the test.
The problem was immense, the
hour late and the stake vital. With
a population less than that Of New
York State, the Australians had a
continent almost as large as the
United States to defend and many
Of their fighters. especially airmen,
were deployed on the North African
battlefield. half a world away. Other
thousands were lost apparently in
the desperate attempt to hold the
great British base at the tip of Asia.
Australia's outer possessions al
ready have been invested by the
tide OF japanese conquest. Bombs
have fallen and troops have landed
at the Bismarck Archipelago of
the northeast tip of Australia and
on the huge island of New Guinea.
The japanese unsuccessfully have
bombed Allied shipping in the Sea
Of Timor.
Japs Fly Over Port Moresby.
Japanese warplanes, operating
from land bases. few for the first
time over Port Moresby at the ex-
treme southeast of New Guinea,
only $50 miles from the mainland.
New Guinea and Papau-noted
for their smoking VOLCANOES and
until recently for their cannibals-
became vitally important to Aus
tralia as bastion of defense against
invasion and for protection of the
essential Torres Strait supply route.