Feb-Mar-Apr, May-June-July 1972 - Navy League of Australia

Tha i n m to efficiency Ilea in QUALITY CONTROL
DISTRIBUTED BY
LOVELOCKS
suppliers to Royal Australian Navy
of QUALITY CONTROL equipment for
Refrigeration, Airconditioning and
Industrial applications, Du Pont
FREON refrigerants and solvents
F. C. LOVELOCK PTY. LIMITED
Head Office and Sydnay Branch:
19-21 BUCKLAND STREET, BROADWAY — Phona: 211-2811
NEWCASTLE CANBERRA PERTH
766 HUNTER ST JWILUNAST I.G. PRITCHARDP/L
NEWCASTLE WEST FYSHWICK HK HAVELOCK ST.
Phone:61-57115 Phone: 95-K22 Phone: 21-6546
ADELAIDE BRISBANE MELBOURNE
162-164 GOUGER ST. 67-73 MARY ST 602 LITTLECOLLINSST.
Phone:51-2154 Phone: 2-3481 Phone 61-2545
MERCATOR SALES
COMPANY
A Division of
The Schlegel Manufacturing Co. (Aust.) Pty. Ltd.
565-569 HARRIS STREET, ULTIMO, N.S.W.
Phona 211-2855
Suppliers to the Department of the Navy of:—
NEW! GOLD FORMULA AQUAMATIC UNIVERSAL
The most advanced Synthetic cutting fluid known.
A report received from the Dept. Navy shows outstanding results in all
machining applications.
Aquamatic has solved the problem of Dermaiitis on the hands of Operators.
Pace Fifty THE NAVY February/March/April,
AUSTRALIA S
DEF tNCE OUTLOOk
The propaganda of the East and
the leftist idealism of the West have
often made common cause in recent
times by proposing pacifism as a
policy for the West while choosing to
disregard the monumental
militarism of the East. For all the talk
of peace there has never been a time
when the world has faced such a
frightening and massive agglomeration
of armed might as is accruing in
the Soviet Union today. So much for
the common man's dreams of
peace. The Communists offer us the
peace of a prison.
The same contrast applies in terms
of the armed forces themselves. In
the Communist countries there is no
apology for the basic recruiting
"incentive' which is that of a
requirement by the State — again
with the ultimate sanction of
forceable induction into the services.
In Australia however, we have tried
primarily the method of increasing
incentives of a different kind. Wages
and conditions for our servicemen
have been bettered immeasureably.
and compare very favourably with
community norms. Our National
Service reauirement is the minimum
which has been necessary to sustain
what is after all a very small fighting
force in face of the counterattractions
of civilian life.
WHERE AUSTRALIA STANDS:
Turning now to Austral.a's unique
position, let me reiterate that the
major questions facing us in
defending Australia are primarily
political. Looking at the world scene
it is obvious that the super-power
with whom we stand most closely
and with whom we hold most in
common is the U.S.A. In the same
way. among the second line powers.
Europe (including the U.K.) is clearly
our closest associate, and we have
high hopes that Japan and India will
continue along the democratic path.
Much of our diplomatic initiative of
the future should be directed
towards greater and closer ties with
these two countries, and of course
with our next-door neighbour.
Indonesia.
We can and should project our
politico-diplomatic defence
strategies into the region most vital
to our own interests. The future of
Singapore and Malaysia are
obviously important, and the ANZUK
arrangements are a demonstration
of our concern and desire for a voice
in any new power movements in the
area.
Overarching all else however is the
great politico-defence value of the
ANZUS Treaty which both we and
more importantly the U.S.A.
consider vital to defence planning.
This represents solid achievement in
terms of ultimate defence. No realist
would argue that an automatic
response should be demanded
whereby we would obtain instant
support from the U.S.A. without
prior decision by their political
authority. Nevertheless, every new
assertion of the prime importance of
ANZUS. such as achieved by Mr
McMahon when in Washington
recently, is of immense value, and is
about as far as any realist could
expect our ally to go.
Nevertheless, having said all this, it
is still necessary for us to ask
ourselves in brutal frankness such
questions as: How sure are we of
the possibilities of our closest
friends maintaining their present
political determination?' — or 'To
what degree will the future
governments of allied nations be
able to count on the support of their
own peoples in situations which
could be vital to our security but
which might involve them in the
sacrifices of war?' These questions
are the political crunch for all treatymakers.
In addition to political considerations
there are. of course, economic
and industrial areas where once
again it is necessary for us to
question whetner the West as a
whole can match the resources of
the East. Our friends and ourselves
are vulnerable to tactics of division,
industrial sabotage and the
destruction of confidence which can
readily reduce our economic
strength. In terms of military
manpower and hardware the
ultimate question emerges whether
the West will be able to retain at least
an equally or sufficiently formidable
capacity to deter aggression.
It is vitally necessary for us in
Australia to learn the politicomilitary
lessons of Indo-China and
Taiwan as well as those of Central
Europe. We have seen the sentiment,
loyalty or morality factors in international
politics sink to bottom place
among necessary considerations.
Indo-China and Taiwan are cases in
point. The world generally is apparently
prepared to sacrifice the freedom
of these countries, and with it
the lives of millions who have trusted
their word for motives varying from
sheer indifference to a transient political
expediency In the light of the
cold realities of super-power politics,
a small power such as ourselves must
surely be excused for cynicism in
this field. It should be admitted that
protests against any form of military
action are much more effective in
the West than in the East, to say the
least. By the same token too. the
resources of the West — whether
political, economic, military, or in
the mass media — these areas are
much more open to attack from
within than they are in the
Communist world.
Australia'* 4.900-ton guldad missile destroyer of tha Charles F Adams class. H.M.A.S. Perth