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"AUSIRALIA" BADGES.
Continued Issue Announced.
CANBERRA, July 15.-The War
Cabinet today decided that all mem
bers of the AIF uho have metal
"Australia" shoulder badges may
wear them and that the badges will
be issued to all members of the AUF
who do not possess them. This news1
was given tonight by the Minister for
the Army (Mr Porde), who said he
certain that the decision would
welcomed widely by servicemen.
The War Cabinet, he said, had taken
into account strong representations
made by branches of the RSSILA,
State Premiers, members of Parlia
ment and other representative Aus
tralian bodies.
Since the question arose whether
"Australia" shoulder badges should
or should not be worn overwhelming
proof had reached him that the
badges had become very dear to the
men of the AlP who had been wear
ing them. They obviously prized them
as symbols of nationhood and as
tokens of the spirit in which they
came forward to serve Australia. He
had examined the problems of metal
and manpower involved in the pro
duction of the badges and it did not
seem now that these were as serious
as they were first thought to be.
Although the existing metal badges
were made of copper no doubt a
suitable alternative metal could be
decided upon to make future supplies.
If it were found that the manufac
ture of badges made too great a de
mand on our copper it was expected
that a suitable material as a substi
tute for copper could be processed
with non-rusting mild steel. He had
found on inquiry that the man
power used in the production of these
badges was negligible.
Immediate action would be taken
to implement the War Cabinet's de
cision, said Mr Fbrde. It was possible!
that Australians again with our
Allies would march forward at no
distant date into lands which had
to be freed from the tyranny of
argressoza.
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