3 I

“The Watchword is
‘All In”~
*

.5~)

MAN POWER
AND

MUNITIONS.

National Broadcast by the Prime Minister,

THE RIGHT HON. R. G. MENZIES,

Sunday, 16th June, 1940.

/
VI

Ry Authority:
L F. JOHNSTON. Commonwealth Government Print*r, Canberra.
(Printed in Au,tralia.)

8881.
 MAN POWER AND MUNITIONS.
NATIONAL BROADCAST BY THE PRIME MINISTER
(THERT. HON. R. G. MENZIES).

SUNDAY, 16TH JUNE, 1940.

“ The war positioi~has progressively and rapidly become more

difficult and more dti~ngerous”the Prime Minister declared. “Park
has fallen. Italy has come into the war, her Dictator eager for glory
~aiid for loot. France confronts the greatest crisis of her history—
exhausted by battle, shorn of many of her factories, her supplies
running short, but with courage still undimmed.
“The deterioration of the position in Europe has a vital significance
for Great Britain and for us in Australia. But this does not mean that
~ are looking for peace. It means a hardening of our resolve to
~viu, and to free Europe and the world from the greatest menace that
the records of history can show.

GREAT BRITAIN’S PLEDGE.

“ Great Britain, facing the threat of invasion, facing the certainty

of bombardment from the air, facing the possibility of an armed

invasion of her shores, has once more, in ringing tones, pledged herself
and everything that she has to the liberation of France and the
destruction of German tyranny.
On your behalf I have given a similar pledge. Every good thing
that we have is now at stake; our own freedom here in Australia
where for so many years we have felt security in our very loneliness;
the safety and independence of the mother country; the continued
existence of the British Empire; the continuance of those institutions
of self-government under which men are free men and not the slaves
.~f..~

ACTION COUNTS.
“For the time being we must put our dreams away; our dreams of
greater social security, of more prosperity, of less work and more pay,
of peace and quietness. Some (lay WC will dream once more of these
things, and our dreams will come true. But at this solemn hour,
action is what counts. Sacrifice—all-round sacrifice; unremitting
toil; unflinching devotion—these are the things which we must have.
The employer must no longer say: ‘What extra profit can I make?’
He must say: ‘How can I help my country?’ The employee must no
longer think in terms of new advantages or benefits, lie must sayto
 .3

himself: ‘Amn ‘I giving so much of my time and skill ‘and sweat to

the service of Australia that I can look the soldier in the eye alid
be unashamed?’ The motto of every citizen must be ‘I serve not
•necessarily as I think I should serve, but as the Government of the
~ountry directs me to serve’. The national risk excludes nobody. The
national effort must therefore be the effort of all.
“ The Government has been taking unusual steps and breaking down

normal routine in its desire to achieve as quickly as possible the

highest measure of security for Australia and the greatest possible
contribution to the success of time Allied arms. The national effort
must express itself to-day in two main ways—man-power and
munitions.
MAN-POWER.
For some months past we have pursued two principal objectives—
one is to give Australia adequate security against local attack, the
other is to make the most effective contribution to the Allied cause
abroad. I don’t need to dwell on the way in which these objectives
are achieved by the activities of the Navy and of the Aim’ Force; Each
of them has had a remarkable expansion during the Inst twelve months,
but I have quite recently made full statements about them, and there-
fore to-night I will talk in particular about the Army. But don’t
forget, while I am talking to you about the Army that, in all your
calculations, you must add to the Army time many thousands of Amis-
trahans \VhI() are serving and are to serve on the sea and in the air.
RECRUITiNG FOR AJ.F.
“1 first mentiou the A.I.F., where we have something over 20,000
11!efl abroad and something over, 40,000 men in camp in Australia.
Recruiting for the A.I.F. is going on apace. It is a marvellous tribute
lo the spirit of young Australia that we are able to say that th~greater
the danger the greater is the rate of enlistment.
“As you know, we have not set any limits to this recruitment, and
I have no doubt that at any time during the war we will have a volume
of men in training for the A.I.F. of somewhere between 30,000 and
40,000. I refem’ to this force in training because, at any given moment,
it is a very effective part of the forces available to defend Australia
herself against attack.
“Now, what of our local defence? That; so far as land forces
are concerned, will depend on an aggregation of our Permanent Forces,
our Militia, our. Garrison Battalions (entirely made up of returned
soldiers), our Militia Reserve, the new Class A Reserve being consti-
tuted by the Returned Soldiers’ League, the A.I.F. in Australia, and
such further drafts of universal trainees or of volunteers as we may
create or call for. -

250,000 FOR LAN!) DEFENCE.

“At what total force made up of these various components should we
aim for the local defence of Australia? We have, in consultation with
our military advisers, been re-considering ‘this problem most urgently,
 4

and we have decided that this total should be maintained at no less

than a quarter of a million if we are either to deter an enemy from
coining here or deal with him if he comes. It is perhaps not widely
realized that at the present time our Permanent Forces, Militia and
Garrison Battalions—all pretty reasonably trained—amount to nearly
95,000, which must be added to the other components that I have
mentioned.
“Allowing for all of this, the scheme which I am now announcing
of a quarter of a million men to defend Australia on land ‘will involve
the adding to all our existing forces of somewhere between 80,090 and
90,000 additional troops. These we propose to obtain by calling up
additional drafts of universal trainees, including those whom we have
already contemplated calling up by the beginning of next year, and
also accepting volunteers outside the age groups called up.
“The reason for this last provision is that we feel that there are
many men who are older than the universal training groups and whose
circumstances may not, either at present or ever, permit them to go
abroad, but who would be quite prepared to do a period of continuous
‘“mmp training and qualify themselves to fight in -Australia.

MAY ENLIST IN A.I.F.

“Each man will, on draft or enlistment into this Home Defence
Force, not be debarred from future enlistment in the A.I.F., but will on
the contrary be given the opportunity of indicating at any time whether
he would be willing to be drafted for overseas service. Our particular
cbject will be to sec that those who form part of the quarter-million
army and who have not already been trained should have approximately
three months’ continuous camp training in a series of successive groups.
• “I should tell you that camp accommodation in Australia—vastly
expanded as it has been—is already strained to the utmost, and it will
therefore be necessary at once to put in hand the construction of new
camps, and of new camp equipment.
•“Efforts will also be made so to organize this Home Defence Force
that evening and week-end parades can be carried out, as well as the
camps to which I have referred.

GUARDING AUSTRALIA.
“You will see that the great advantage of this scheme is that the
creation and progressive transportation of the A.I.F. is not to
be allowed to weaken our own defence here in Australia.
This is essential because, &~I have already said—and I believe with
your full approval—whatever calamity might happen elsewhere,
the nation that wants to conquer us must come and take us. We
don’t come of a surrendering breed.
“Just one word more about the Militia: Our Militia to-day is largely
made up of men, many of them married and with responsibilities who,
in pre-war days, volunteered to be trained for the defence of Australia.
They havt~ done a fine job. if an enemy landed on our coasts next
week, we would thank God for them, and for their patriotic efforts in
fitting themselves to fight for us. I deplore the tendency which exists
in a few unthinking minds to talk of the Militia with something resemuh-
hug a sneer, as if the Militia were (lodging their responsibilities.
In appropriate eases,- service in the Militia cannot be regarded a~
an effective substitute for service in the A.I.F. But the Militia as a
force is entitled to the respect and gratitude of a community, to the
~1angersof whose position it ~vas awake at a time when ninny peopl.
were blindly unaware of the risks and requirement-s of war.

MUNITIONS.
The munitions side of our effort is less spectacular and more
difficult. If this war has demonstrated any one timing plainly, it ~
that millions of men are of little use without the most modern weapons
of attack and of defence. With all the will in the world these weapons
cannot be produced by bold words, by platform slogans, or by sleight of
hand. The high precision modern instruments of war are complex
mechanical coristrimetions requiring skilled and semi-skille(l mnan-power,
machine tools of a range and complexity hitherto quite unknown in
Australia, manufacture and assembly of materials, some of the con-
stituents in which are not obtainable or readily obtainable in Australia.
The bringing of all these things into co-relation for the production
of the finished product means an inevitably slow l)rocesS of tooling-up,
Of the manufacture of the jigs, gauges, dies, the various fixtures flint go
to make up the modern mass-production factory.

GERMANY’S FLYING START.

Speaking for myself, I am not prepared to despair of anything.
Given time, given all-round co-operation, I have nil the eomifi~encein the
world that Australia can produce anything But we cannot, in a few
weeks, or a few months, overtake arrears which have been accumulating
f~ryears past. It is quite useless to endeavour to apportion the blame
for this state of affairs. It is a state of affairs which exists in every
country except Germany. You have been reading the cables amid you
must have been vividly imprcs~cd,even during the past six weeks, by
tIme shortages in the war equipment of Great Britain and Fiance, amid
of America. Germany got a flying start years ago when the rest of
the world was still talking of peace ballots and disarmament. That
flying start has never yet been overtaken.
“Great Britain is one of the great industrial countries of the world;
her resources, her plant, her technical and industrial experience are
immeasurably greater than ours, and yet at this crucial monient in this
war Great Britain’s capacity to strike a decisive blow in France is
limited—not by man-power—but by her capacity to provide tanks,
artillery, mechanized units, so cruel a loss of which took place in time
retreat to Dunkirk. -
 PRODUCTION PROBLEMS.
If an intensely industrialized country like America, with. twenty
timiles our population, to-day finds it difficult to produce aircraft aml
arms in anything like the quantities that the Allies desire, it is not to
be wondered at that Australia—which has a relatively few years of
industrial experience behind her, also has unspeakable ili~cultics in
providing the complex machinery and tools Rfl(l materials and varieties
of skill necessary to prothice the high precision modern iimstrmunents of
~var?
“CAN BE DONE “.
“ Now, why do I tell you all that? Not because amiy of us are
going to fold our hands and say sadly that it cannot be done. It can
be done and it will be done. But we must all attack the problem
with our eyes open. Words won’t help us to-day. It is work that
counts. By work arid faith we may work miracles—and even if
miracles fail us, it will be our duty and our privilege to do every—
timing that litunan skill and endurance can achieve in the production
of those things that we need to win this war.
“So, I say to you again, the problem of munitions is the key
problem, amid because that is so, your Government has beeui urgently
re-examining time industrial resources of Australia with a view to having
them more and more effectively marshalled for the war effort.

NATIONAL SECURITY ACT.

\Vhen the war broke out, extensive powers were taken by the
Government immider the National Security Act. That Act provided that
regulations could be made for securing the public safety and defence
of the Commonwealth and of the teri~itoriesof the Commonwealth,
amid in particular for authorizing the taking of any property or under-
takimig, for controlling finance and so on.
- “ The Act, however, contained its own limits, and among them was
a 1imnitati~nupon the power to exercise direct control over the labour
necessary for war industries. A substantially similar state of affairs
obtained iii Great Britaimi itself until 22nd May of this year when an
Eniergemmey Powers Act was passed which took power—-
•~by Order in Council to make such defence regulations
~nak-ingprovision for requiring persons to place themselves, their
services, and (heir property al the disposal of His Majesty, as
appear to him to he necessary or expedient for securing the
public safely, the defence of the realm, the maintenance of public
order, or (he efficient prosecution of any mvar in which His
Majesty may he c-ngaged, or for maintaining supplies or services
essential to the life of (lie community
“.

This Act represented the most complete delegation of authority to

the Executive in the history of the British race. It received the
approval of the whole of Great Britain, of time employers, of the trade
unions, of the whole of the people.
“Similar legislation has since been passed in New Zealand,
 7

NEW MUNITIONS REGULATIONS.

In Australia we yc~terdaymade regulations in relation to the now
Mimmtiomms Dcpni’tmmient, of which Mr. Essington Lewis is the Director—
General. Those regulations are far-reaching. Among other things,
they enable the Director-General to requisition or compulsorily acquire
aiiy property which he thinks necessary for a maximum munitions
effort. -

“ The powers of the new department are extraordinary, but they

are no more extraordinary than the times demand. -

We have recently been obliged steeply to increase taxation. As

war expenditure expands, further demands must inevitably be ntade.
Further, we have introduced unprecedented war times pro~t taxation
which drastically taxes large company profits made during war.
Time prompt measures taken by the Government at the outbreak
of war have so far prevented the exploitation of prices and war profi-
teering. But the position is being constantly and carefully policed
an(l the Government will not hesitate to deal with any ~var profiteering
by taxation of excess war profits, properly so-called, to the extent of
taking 100 pci’ cent, of them,

WEALTh TO PLAY FULL PART.

Since wealth is primarily of value to the community for what it
produces, amid since we are setting no limits to the taxation which we
~villimpose upon the product of wealth, and since we are raising from
the community many millions of pounds of capital itself, it calm
accurately be said that time financial resources of the country will play
their full part and will imideed be strained, if necessary, to the point
of financial collapse. Aft-er all, financial exhaustion is preferable to
national destruction.
“The limitations of time existing law, however, prevent a full amid
equal industrial regimentation of our resources of skilled and semi-
skilled and unskilled man-power. It is quite certain that if we are to
do our utmost to avoid any waste of skill and effort, we must have
power to employ men to the best advantage for war industry—just
as we now have power to employ industries and enterprises to the best
advantage.

PARLIAMENT TO MEET.
We cannot and we will not limit our power at a time like this.
The Government, therefore, has taken steps to call Parliament
together on Thursday next to consider a bill to be submitted by the
Government to remove all limits from the recourse which we may
have to any of the national resources.
“The Bill will be on the model of the British legislation to which I
have referred. When it has been passed, as I have no doubt it promptly
will be, we will have and will be able to exercise an unprecedented and
far-reaching authority.
 C

50328504677062 GOVEItNMENT’S POWERS.

“The Government will then have, partly by virtue of the new Bill
and partly by virtue of powers which we have been exercising for a long
time past—
(a) An unlimited power to tax;
(b) An unlimited power to take property;
(c) An unlimited power to direct employers what to do;
(d) An unlimited power to direct employees what to do; and
(e) An unlimited power to call up and train our man-power for
the defence of Australia.
“There will be one limit and one limit only: There will be no
conscription for overseas service.
APPEAL TO TRAI)E UNIONS.
“In the exercise of these vast powers the Government will wel-
come the fullest co-operation from everybody. In particular, it
invites the co-operation of the Trade Union Movement. I have no
doubt that the great Trade Unions of Australia, the members of which
are contributing so splendidly to our fighting forces and to our deter-
mnination to wimi, believe that our safety can be achieved only by
mobilizing our man-power and imudustrial power to the fullest extent.
“Indeed, this has been quite freely advocated by some of the unions
themselves. I am sure that they will not hesitate to submit themselves,
in common with all other sections of the comunity, to the fullest
consultation, co-operation, organization and direction at a time like this,
so that nothing will be left undone which could contribute to the
success of our arms and the preservation of our independence and our
freedom.
NO SELF-SEEKING
“This is miot a time when any of Us must look for advantages. We
are an integral, proud and British community, and to preserve these
attributes must practise a community of sacrifice. -

“I have never yet met an Australian, whatever his religious faith,

whatever his political colour, whatever his share of the world’s goods,
who was not prepared to (10 his part in a time of emergency, provided
he felt that everybody else was doing his part also.

‘WATCHWORD IS “ALL IN “.‘

So to-night I want to say to you, as your servant and on behalf

of those who are your servants at this fateful hour—the watchword
is ‘ALL IN ‘—everything that we have, our savings, our property,
our skill, the service of our hands, if necessary the service of our
lives, for the country that we love “.

With the Compliments of

C. C. DAWSON,
Commonwealth Publicity Officer,
CANBERRA, A.C.T.
t$y Authority: L. F. JOENM’ON. Commonw~aItIiGoveruinent Printer, CnuI,t~rra.