Your 281.

Prime Minister has made following statements on export of arms and
equipment to Malaya:-

(1) 2nd August.

'Cabinet decided today that, where a request has been or will be
made by the British Government for arms and equipment for use by
the Government of the Malayan Union, these will be made available
from Australian supplies within the reasonable limits of their
availability.'

(2) 2.3rd August.

'Supplies of automatic weapons and ammunition which are required
in Malaya for the maintenance of law and order have recently been
despatched by the Australian authorities by air and have been duly
delivered. The supplies sent have satisfied the requests made to
date through the British Government, so far as the items required
could be made available from Australian stocks. Certain other
types of equipment, which are being tested and examined, will also
be supplied to the extent available, if they are found to be
suitable for the purpose required.'

2. As regards last sentence of (2), Government is not making
public nature of equipment referred to. For your information,
however, it consists for the most part of certain new types of
radio and W/T equipment.