Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), Saturday 19 November 1932, page 22


"EMU WAR" DEFENDED.

Justified by Damage Done.

CANBERRA, Friday, - The Minister for Defence (Sir George Pearce) in the Senate to-day warmly defended the employment of military forces and the use of machine-guns in the "emu war" in Western Aus

tralia.

Senator Guthrie (U.A.P., V,) asked whether it was possible to kill the emus by more humane, if less spectacular,

methods.

Sir George Pearce replied that those

who were not familiar with country in

which emus were numerous could not rea-lise the damage that the birds could do.

Because of the drought in inland areas, the birds had come down in thousands to the settled areas. Through the gaps they made in the fences rabbits followed.

Reports had made it appear that only a

few birds had been killed by the machine-guns, and he had given instructions that opeations should cease, but he had learned later that the birds had been killed in hundreds, and, as the result of renewed representations, the military party had re-

turned. It was no more cruel to kill the birds with machine-guns that with

rifles, and the wounded birds were de-spatched immediately the firing ceased.