AIR ASSAULTS NOT DEFEATING VIET CONG

The massive air assaults against North Vietnam, still tightly controlled from Washington, are having no real effect on the Viet Cong's capacity and will to fight in South Vietnam. The use of air power in the South is, in many cases, doing more harm than good as large numbers of civilians are destroyed, thus making them more susceptible to Viet Cong propaganda. These are the considered verdicts of a number of independent observers in Vietnam. One of these is Anthony Brown who has recently returned from a tour of South Vietnam. Writing in The Bulletin of April 24, Brown states:

"Thus has failed - broadly speaking - the tactical use of air power in Vietnam. Again, broadly speaking, the loyal forces are also losing… Brown quotes an American guerilla expert as complaining that; "We have got to get this goddamned war out of its present state of over-dependence on aircraft and slug it out on trails at night. …….... When we do we'll really start winning. We need scouts, we need a friendlier rural population, we need to know a lot more about the enemy. And if we don't, this will be another one of those wars which orthodox armies are so good in taking ten years to lose."

Competent experts have warned for years what was necessary to defeat the communist challenge in South Vietnam. But the policy makers in Washington refused to act on these warnings until the Viet Cong had taken control of approximately two thirds of the country.

It has been estimated that it would take at least 100,000 men on the ground at the 17th. parallel to completely stop all supplies from North Vietnam to the Viet Cong. But without any external help at all, the Viet Cong could wage war effectively for several years, unless realistic action were taken to defeat them as the British defeated the Chinese guerillas in Malaya in the fifties.

The bombing of North Vietnam still has a political, not a military objective. Which means that the Communists revolutionary programme has not been halted.

THE WHOLE OF ASIA AFLAME

During the tenth anniversary celebrations of the first Afro-Asian Conference, Sukarno spoke on April 19 about his "master plan" for South-East Asia. Peking, represented by Chou En lai, applauded. Sukarno promised to support the creation of a "Melasian State", implying the inclusion of East New Guinea and all islands to the east of New Guinea. He significantly listed France as one of the "New Emerging Forces", as well he might with General de Gaulle refusing to co-operate with fellow-members in SEATO and strongly backing the Communist policy of "neutralising" the whole of South-East Asia.

Through persistent stupidity and treachery, the Western policy makers have at last succeeded in driving Pakistan firmly into the arms of Peking. They failed to support Pakistan's plea for justice on the Kashmir issue. Peking has exploited the situation and is applying classical Leninist principles by supporting Pakistan against India. The Chinese are massing troops along the Indian border. Internal racial tensions are being exploited in Malaysia, and there are reports that the Communists are greatly increasing their strength amongst the Chinese in Sarawak. There have been Communist-inspired student riots in Cambodia, South Korea and Japan. Prime Minister Sato of Japan is criticising America's "rigid" attitude towards China, a reflection of Japanese public opinion which favours seating Red China in UNO. The Communists are successfully inflaming the whole of Asia.

Australia and New Zealand's peril increases almost hourly. In his recent address, Sukarno listed Australia as being "in transition" from the Old Forces to the New!

NEW GUINEA NATIVE LEADERS' REALISM

The most annoying thing which the international trouble-mongers find about New Guinea is that so many of the native leaders tell them to mind their own business. When the trouble-mongers do manage to mentally batter or to bribe some poor New Guinean into acquiescing in their suggested call for independence, there is great jubilation in socialist circles everywhere, and the propaganda value is exploited to the full in the daily press. It is a tribute to the sound commonsense of the New Guinea native that these demands are so few.

Another UN mission has returned this week from New Guinea with very few propaganda fish. The leader of the mission, M. Andre Naudy admitted that several native leaders thought that their country was not ready for independence, and that he was impressed by the achievements of the Australian Administration in New Guinea. New Guinea native leaders have even criticised the UN. The President of Papua New Guinea Federation of Workers' Associations, Mr. Oala Oala-Rarua expressed concern about Dr. Sukarno's decision not to hold a plebiscite in West New Guinea. The Australian of April 22 reported him as saying, "This is the United Nations fault…. Their weakness allowed Indonesia to occupy West Irian and they had sold its people down the drain."

Mr. Oala-Rarua can see the danger from Communist agent Sukarno, but he mistakes the role which the UN played in the Dutch withdrawal. It was not weakness, but a demonstration of the strength of organised propaganda which blinded otherwise intelligent men to the real aims of this organ of totalitarian World Government. UN's aim was not humanitarian, but the transfer of yet another Western colony to the puppets of Moscow.

RED CHINA'S FEET OF CLAY

As we are being constantly told by the pundits like Walter Lippmann that we should shake at the thought of the might of Communist China, it is interesting to note the new book by Mikhail Klochko, "Soviet Scientist in Red China." Dr. Klochko was twice sent by the Soviet Union to China on scientific missions. He subsequently defected to the West. The Australian Fabian Socialist dailies have generally ignored Dr. Klochko's important book. The following are a few extracts:

"Chinese agriculture has never been in so terrible a condition, so disorganised and incapable of furnishing food to the population." "Chinese industry is slowing down - it lacks electric power and raw material" "The development of military nuclear industry demands huge capital investments of which China is not capable, nor is likely to be in the next ten years." "Without Russian aid China could not wage war. The threats against the US, the seventh fleet, Formosa, etc., are nothing but childish scarecrows."
Chiang Kai Shek has been saying similar things for a long time.

Australia is doing its best to rectify Red China's weakness by shipping huge quantities of wheat to China and Russia. And now the US is reported by The Australian of April 21 to be changing her shipping laws to enable America to compete in supplying wheat to alleviate Communist harvest failures. This, of course, allows the Communists to concentrate more on producing armaments. Bully for us.

Who was it that said, "The capitalists will sell us the rope to hang them with"? You are right - Lenin, the great architect of the Communist revolutionary programme for world conquest.

UN COMMITTEE TRYS TO HALT RHODESIAN ELECTIONS

Further to our item on Rhodesia last week when we observed that Prime Minister Ian Smith was almost certain to win a sweeping majority at the elections next week on May 7, we draw attention to the arrogant demand by the UN Special Committee on Colonialism that Britain take urgent steps to cancel the elections. The international revolutionaries are not only afraid of a massive victory for the Smith Government; they fear the strong support which Mr. Smith is obtaining from the great majority of the natives. Thus they talk wildly about "the further deterioration in the situation in this territory", and "the threat to world peace.

In Salisbury Prime Minister Smith has provided further evidence of his will to defy the revolutionaries, by stating that if the UN tried to interfere in the internal affairs of any country it could lead to the downfall of that world body. And in that case he said, "I and many people would welcome its downfall."
We say amen to that sentiment.

FABIAN SOCIALIST POLICY ON EDUCATION

Speaking at the Fabian Socialist weekend school in West Australia last week-end, Mr. E. G. Whitlam, Deputy Leader of the Federal Parliamentary Labor Party, and a member of the N.S.W. Fabian Society clearly outlined the Fabian proposal that all education in Australia should be centralised under the control of the Federal Government. Already the Federal Government, through its near-monopoly of financial power, is extending its influence in the field of education.

True education must be local and diversified. But like all monopolists, the Fabian Socialists want complete centralised control in order that the whole of the Australian children can be more easily subjected to standard brainwashing concerning Socialism.

Australians have been warned. They should resist all attempts to weaken local control of education.

COMMUNIST PAPER ATTACKS "'ON TARGET'"

Last week's Melbourne Communist weekly, The Guardian, criticised "On Target" which it was claimed indicated an "obsessive" fear of Communism.

Clearly "On Target" is hitting many bulls-eyes!