TERROR AS A POLITICAL WEAPON

When Irish Republican Army terrorists recently "executed" Mr. Jeffry Agate, the British head of the American Du Pont's company plant near Londonderry, as part of an intensified campaign to force the British to grant "freedom" to the Northern Irish, British Prime Minister Callaghan insisted that the British would not yield to terror. But a British Government which says that it is determined to continue resisting terror in Ireland, and in other parts of the United Kingdom, continues to pressurise Prime Minister Ian Smith of Rhodesia to try to negotiate "majority rule" with the terrorists who are intensifying their cowardly attacks upon the Rhodesian people, both black and white.

Everyone who has studied the use of terror as a political weapon can readily see the pattern and significance of terrorist attacks in Rhodesia. The latest episode in cold-blooded killing, the shooting of three Roman Catholic priests and four nuns, at a Jesuit missionary centre near Salisbury, was part of a campaign, which seeks to eradicate any civil or religious authority working for the real benefits of the Africans.

There is little doubt that the killing of the missionaries was carried out by Robert Mugabe's "Patriotic Front". But, as usual, spokesmen for the Front suggested that it was Ian Smith's troops who were responsible. In spite of the wicked absurdity of such a claim, disputed by the first hand evidence of the one priest who survived, there followed the depressing spectacle of liberal Roman Catholics of the Bishop Gleeson type, and others, seriously suggesting that either there might be some truth in the charge against the Smith Government, or that the killing must be "understood" in the context of the struggle to "free" Rhodesia.
The Soviet strategists who provided the automatic weapons used for the massacre are no doubt highly amused to read such statements.

The Australian media has a shocking record of reporting the Rhodesian crisis, with the result that few have read or heard any of the details of the "package" deal which Mr. Richards offered Prime Minister Smith and which Mr. Smith rejected, one result being a new international campaign of criticism of Mr. Smith, with the Australian Government of Mr. Fraser joining in. The Richards proposals were fundamentally different from the Kissinger proposals, and approximated those of Mr. Robert Mugabe. Mugabe, a "devout" Roman Catholic who directs his terrorists without risking himself, would count for little but for Machel of Mozambique. And like Mugabe, Machel is backed by the Soviet Union.

It is not generally known that following the end of the Rhodesian Geneva talks in Geneva in December, Mugabe did not return to Africa immediately, but first flew to Yugoslavia where he made it clear that he rejected the whole concept of a negotiated settlement in Rhodesia. Mugabe insisted that he must have power immediately. He made it known that he had his own skeleton administration ready, with "experts" kindly provided by Yugoslavia, East Germany, the Soviet Union and Cuba.

As the terrorist pressure is increased against Rhodesia, it is high time that the Fraser Government was asked if it intends to continue with aid to the major terrorist base, Mozambique. Or is it going to follow the pro-Communist policies of Washington by supporting U.S. Secretary of State, Mr. Vance, who has formerly pledged American support for the Rhodesian terrorist leaders as future rulers of Rhodesia?

THE ANTI-INDONESIAN PROPAGANDA CAMPAIGN

Responsible Australians should regard with the greatest caution the continuing propaganda campaign against Indonesia. The campaign is similar to that being conducted against Rhodesia, Chile and other "fascist" nations. It may be that some Indonesian troops committed atrocities in East Timor. A study of the history of these atrocity stories leads to the pro-Soviet Communist paper, The Socialist, of September 1st, 1976. The Age, Melbourne then carried the story forward, which on November 19th published a story of a "confidential" report claiming that 60,000 Timorese had been killed by the Indonesians. The figure of 60,000 was increased to 100,000 in subsequent reports in other papers.

Mr. James Dunn, a former Australian consul in Timor, currently doing research work for the Foreign Affairs group attached to the Parliamentary library, has received considerable publicity for what he allegedly discovered when he interviewed Timorese refugees in Portugal. It would be interesting to know who these refugees were. The Communists have a special reason for creating as much friction as possible between Australia and Indonesia. The Suharto Government has made it clear that it does not wish to become dependent upon the Communists. It may be that the type of Government operating in Indonesia is not appealing to many Australians. But it is in Australia's strategic interests not to accept Communist backed propaganda against Indonesia.

BRIEF COMMENTS

National Country Party leader Anthony, assisted by his parliamentary colleague, Mr. Peter Nixon, attempted on Thursday of last week to persuade Premier J. Bjelke-Petersen and his Deputy Premier W. Knox to be less critical of the Fraser Government's financial policies. They were not very successful. For one thing, the Queensland Coalition has a State Election this year, and cannot afford to be seen as sympathetic to the policies of a Federal Government losing electoral support almost hourly. Mr. Anthony said that Mr. Bjelke-Petersen did not understand the ramifications of an immediate reduction in taxes, but then displayed his usual appalling ignorance by claiming that "if you cut taxes you have to either print money or go into the commercial market, which will push interest rates even higher. The Queensland Premier was not impressed, repeating his demand for tax cuts. "I will have to keep the issue alive", he said.

Premier J. Bjelke-Petersen was right when he said that Prime Minister Fraser had "been caught with his pants down" when Prime Minister Somare had welcomed Mr. Fraser to Papua New Guinea with his snap legislation concerning the Torres Strait border with Papua New Guinea. Australia provides Papua New Guinea with 42.5% of its budget. Justice and defence demand that Australia takes a firm attitude on the Torres Straits issue, the type of attitude adopted by the Queensland Premier.

Mr. A.G.W. Burston, President of the Australian Woolgrowers and Graziers' Council, has come out in support of the Fraser Government's refusal to ease the tax burden. The Herald, Melbourne, of February 7th, reports Mr. Burston as saying that tax cuts would be inflationary "and a set back to the slow economy recovery already under way." No wonder primary producers are in such a parlous state when they have spokesmen uttering this type of nonsense. One of the basic causes of inflation is taxation, and there is no hope whatever of persuading wage earners to practise wage restraints while heavy taxes help to maintain rising prices.

Last week, on Monday, February 7th, the A.L.P. released details of the Oppositions alternative financial policies. The only constructive proposal is for a reduction in indirect taxation. The Whitlam Government had three years in which to reduce indirect taxation. In case the unthinkable should happen, and the Whitlam team is re-elected, we will predict now that there will be no basic changes in financial policies, and that the process of centralisation will be continued.

Malcolm Muggeridge observed that the liberal ideologues, the do gooders, have been far more dangerous than the Stalins and Hitlers of history. It was the Whitlam Government which insisted on lavish and, in most cases, irresponsible "welfare" handouts to the Aboriginals. One result was a tremendous surge in the consumption of alcohol. The Fraser Government is being urged now to provide psychiatrists, at the taxpayers' expense of course, to cope with the problems of alcoholism amongst the Aboriginals!