“An industrially developed nation cannot be disarmed”

A.E. Leighton was a different sort of public servant. After starting his career in 1903 in the Indian Department of Military Supply, he joined the Australian Arsenal and rose through the ranks to become Controller General of Munitions in the Ministry of Munitions in WW2.  In the aftermath of World War 1 he made the following observation.

“The power to retain a strong position in the world depends not on the possession of in any moment of ships, engines and munitions of war, but on the extent and variety of the nation’s industries and the possession of knowledge to apply the resources of industries quickly  and effectively to the problems of war”

Now that Australia no longer has the 10 year strategic warning window to prepare for war that it did during Leighton’s day the force in being has become significantly more important, but the need for a strong industrial base remains the same.

In large scale combat operations It won’t be just ‘Defence’ Industry that will need to be leveraged – many of the key suppliers of the consumables of combat will currently service the wider economy, not Defence.

In a long war the ability to mobilise and sustain Industry will win the war.

Source: Australian in the War of 1939 – 45 – Civil – The Role of Science and Industry – D.P. Mellor

📷 NSW State Archives – Tank Assembly in the NSW Railways Chullora Workshops