RHODESIA HALTS COMMUNIST ADVANCE

The world-wide campaign against Rhodesia must not be permitted to obscure the truth that by their desperate but courageous stand, Mr. Ian Smith and his colleagues have severely jolted Communism's grand international strategy. This strategy was outlined by Mao Tse-tung's Minister for Defence, Lin Piao, in a special issue of "Peking Reviews" on September 3. Lin Piao first emphasised "Comrade Mao Tse-tung's theory of the establishment of rural revolutionary base areas and the encirclement of the cities from the countryside as being "of outstanding and universal practical importance for the present revolutionary struggles." Lin Piao then went on to stress that globally North America and Western Europe were "the cities of the world", and that Asia, Africa and Latin America were "the rural areas". He then said:
"In the final analysis, the whole cause of world revolution hinges on the revolutionary struggles of the Asian, African and Latin American peoples who make up the overwhelming majority of the world's population."
The first step necessary in the African front of the revolution is to deprive the Africans of the protection, guidance and assistance of the Europeans. Thus the world-wide campaign against the "wicked colonialists".

As Mr. Ian Smith has observed in replying to Prime Minister Harold Wilson's boast about Britain's policy of "liberation", the total result of this policy has been the establishment of tyranny and one-party-police States. This development has paved the way for the growing Communist invasion of Africa. A press-report this week from Kenya contains the ominous news that "Nearly 600 Russian tourists are expected here next week on the largest package tour ever to visit East Africa".
Most of these "tourists" are in fact trained Communist agents.

In the tradition of the great British leaders of the past, Prime Minister Ian Smith, loyally backed by the small European community and the overwhelming majority of the Africans, has decided that he will not abdicate his responsibilities. The Rhodesians are in the front line of the revolutionary struggle in Africa, They are holding the line on behalf of civilisation against the revolutionary strategy outlined by Mao Tse-tung's right-hand man. They can only be defeated by treachery within the Western world.

SUPPRESSION OF CANBERRA DEBATE ON RHODESIA

Sections of the Australian daily press have been doing their best to present Rhodesia's emergency censorship laws as evidence of a "fascist State". As war has been declared against Rhodesia by those who manufacture "world opinion" it is not surprising that the Rhodesian authorities are taking steps to protect themselves on the propaganda front. It is sheer hypocrisy for the Australian press to talk about censorship. Australians learned very little from their newspapers about the debate on Rhodesia at Canberra last week. A study of Hansard reveals why.

The speeches by Government Members confirm the view expressed by League of Rights National Director, Mr. Eric Butler, that there is no real enthusiasm in Government circles for the policy of economic sanctions against Rhodesia. It was not surprising that following the address by Mr. Barnes, Minister for Territories, Mr. Kim Beazley said that he expected Mr. Barnes to resign from the Cabinet. In the course of his address, Mr. Barnes said:
"I suggest that the economic standards of Africans in South Africa are higher than the standards of Negroes elsewhere in the world... The Deputy Leader of the Opposition mentioned what can be achieved by African governments. I invite honorable members to consider...what is happening in the political sense in the new African nations. I invite honorable members to consider the older countries where Africans have for many years had opportunities for government. I ask them to consider Haiti which got its complete independence from the French and self government in 1809. Consider Liberia on the west coast of Africa, which achieved independence about 1820. We should look closely at what happened there."

Sir Wilfrid Kent-Hughes dealt with some of the tragic results of "freedom" and "independence" in Africa. He drew attention to the fact that the Rhodesians had to contend with Communist influence and Communist-trained saboteurs. He then said something, which should be blazoned all over Australia: "Is there really any principle or logic in applying economic sanctions to Rhodesia in its crisis which I believe could and should be resolved by peaceful negotiation and cooperation when Britain and ourselves fall over each other to trade with Red China with whom we are at war? Is the British Government acting on any principle by telling British firms which continue to trade with Rhodesia that they will be guilty of treason while the British and Australian Governments sell wheat, wool, chemicals, steel and such rare materials as rutile - 5000 tons from Australia last year - to Red China which helps that nation to provide materials with which to kill Australian soldiers ordered by the Australian Government to defend South Vietnam and Malaysia, and the front lines of the free world today?"

Mr. D. J. Killen dealt with the historical and constitutional background of Rhodesia. He dealt with some harsh realities when he said:
"The Rhodesians today are reproached for their disregard of the rule of law and of the government at Westminster. When Kenya was granted independence in a hurry, it was granted on the basis that it would federate in a very short time with Tanganyika and with Uganda. That, of course, has completely gone by the board. Tanganyika and Zanzibar are not Tanzania... When I think of Tanzania today, I think of the thousands of Arab Zanzibaris who were slaughtered, without there being any anxious protest meetings or marches upon the United Nations. I think also of the trade union detainees in Tanzania today. This has not been raised in any of the Councils of the International Labour Organisations… The one compelling fact, I venture to say, in this whole dreadful business is that the world has been brought to the stage where it now accepts two desperately different values."

Mr. Killen concluded his speech by making a most constructive suggestion:
"I believe that a completely fresh initiative must be found...I hope it will be found possible even now to persuade Mr. Smith to accept a mission composed of representatives from three Commonwealth countries - two of the older ones and one of the new ones that has accepted an opposition party in politics - charged with the task of seeing whether the interested parties can get together and restore political constitutionality to Rhodesia."

Another blatant example of Australian press censorship was provided by The Herald, Melbourne, on November 17, when a story about legless RAP fighter ace Group Captain Douglas Bader in the first edition was removed from all subsequent editions, Bader was reported as saying in South Africa that British sanctions on Rhodesia made him ashamed to be an Englishman. "The sooner the white man stops falling over backwards and apologising for being white the better."

Speaking at a crowded League of Rights meeting in Melbourne last Monday, Rhodesia's Australian representative, Mr. A. Cavendish Wise, told of his experiences with The Herald and its TV station, Channel 7. After he had done an interview, over £200 worth of tape had been thrown away on the instructions of The Herald management, which said that no favourable news about Rhodesia was to appear! So much for "freedom of the press."

TIDE OF SUPPORT FOR IAN SMITH

Not even press censorship and blatant fabrications can black out the truth that there is now a mounting tide of support for Mr. Ian Smith around the world, particularly in Britain, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the U.S.A. Some of the press correspondents in Salisbury are admitting reluctantly that there is no real sign of opposition to the Smith Government. From London comes the news that Edward Heath and the Conservative Party leaders were afraid to let the Rhodesian issue go to a vote at the recent Annual Conference. Over a 100 Conservative members are opposing sanctions against Rhodesia. Protest meetings against sanctions are being held. Conservative Party leaders are taking a firmer line as pressure mounts. Mr. Harold Wilson is now starting to hedge, warning this week that oil sanctions against Rhodesia might not prove effective and that Britain would not "go at it alone" on the issue. The oil threat was completely destroyed when France refused to support it at the UN.
The New Zealand Government has shown a very lukewarm attitude towards sanctions, although Prime Minister Holyoake did shift towards a stronger line after he had been pressurised.

Mr. Smith's position strengthens hourly, and only a manufactured incident can provide any excuse for attempted force. In the meantime we can report from our own sources that the Union Jack continues to be flown everywhere in Rhodesia, "God Save The Queen" is being sung, and the Rhodesians go on regarding themselves as loyal British subjects and members of a self-governing dominion. What a magnificent example of courage and will! Mr. Ian Smith has demonstrated once again what one man of dedication can do to change the course of history from what it otherwise would have been. But he must have increased support.