DEFENCE

"The whole business of defence in Australia as I understand it is aimed at defending the freedoms and liberties we presently possess. This is the freedom based upon the rights of the individual and the rule of law". Peter Young, in "The Australian" (February 20th) The past few months have seen the issue of Australia's defence, in the broadest terms, become a common talking point; and this, in the long run, will be all to the good.

One of the last desires of a potential aggressor against Australia would be for the man in the street to became concerned about the defence of this nation. Many things have happened. There have been fishing trawlers from Asian States fishing in our waters. A large Russian vessel has entered the Gulf of Carpentaria to harvest prawns (no doubt among other purposes: Russian trawlers carry the most sophisticated electronic equipment). There have been the disturbing arrivals of Vietnamese refugee boats to our Northern shores. There have been the reports of large caches of illegal drugs coming in from the North by ship and plane: one plane crashed and was discovered to have been carrying millions of dollars worth of marijuana. And more. Reports of mysterious submarines, etc.

All this is more than enough to alert anyone of common sense that Australia is wide open: our defence is lamentable. We, above, mentioned defence of Australia in the broadest terms, because we now have to cope with terrorism, as evidenced by the bomb outrage in Sydney on the occasion of the recent meeting of Commonwealth leaders in the Asian region. There have been reports of kidnap threats against one or more of the leaders. The realities are, in spite of Mr. Al Grassby, that if we allow into this country large numbers of aliens who do not share our "ethos", then we also allow in their hatreds, problems and violent ways. The facts are here for all to witness.

Whilst we are buffeted by demented claptrap about "the family of the nation", and "everyone being Australians", we are also being rocked with disclosures (probably only the tip of the iceberg) that certain criminal types of a certain nationality could be working a huge drug racket in Australia. Also bombs are going off all over the place: a man has been murdered for trying to take a stand for decency, and prominent people are the target for threats against their persons. All this has happened within a few years.

Mr. Peter Young, writing on Defence in The Australian (Feb. 20th) raises the disturbing issue of the Government's (more than likely, Mr. Fraser's) immature over reaction after the Sydney bomb disaster. It has puzzled us why, of all things, a military task force was required to maintain security at the Bowral (N.S.W.) session of the Commonwealth Asian Region talks.
Mr. Young, whilst reporting that the Australian Chief of Defence Force Staff was pleased with the efficiency of the operation, raises the serious implications, and they are indeed serious: "He (the Chief of Defence Force Staff) would do better, however, to concern himself with the ease and haste with which such a major precedent was set whereby such a large and operationally equipped force was called up for such apparent little reason, imposing what must be accepted as a de facto state of martial law." Exactly.

Then followed further detailed comment concerning the sorry affair. We make a point of mentioning this Bowral over reaction because it impinges heavily on the principles of freedom stated by Brigadier Eason in our "Thought for the Week", and these principles are vitally linked with our Defence. Constitutional experts are saying that the Australian Constitution is fuzzy on the powers of the military when emergency political situations are declared. Most are caustic in their comment on the immaturity of Mr. Fraser's thoughtless over reaction to a situation that should have been played very low key. Perhaps he was trying to "put on a show" for his Commonwealth colleagues: in the long run he will regret the Bowral incident.

Brigadier Eason's essay, "A Strategy for the Effective Defence of Australia" is available from all League offices. Price 80 cents, posted. Also available is "The Defence of the Western World" by General Sir Walter Walker, K.C.B., C.B.E., D.S.O., former Commander-in-Chief, Allied Forces, Northern Europe (1969-72).

Supporters will be interested to read what General Walker has to say about Southern Africa: "Russia, whether by blackmail, revolutionary war by proxy, or by brute force, intends to absorb the whole of Southern Africa and thus deprive the West of vital minerals and control of Europe's lifeline round the Cape. Southern Africa holds key bases of fundamental strategic importance to the control of the sea-lanes and trade routes in the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans. The possession of these bases would give the Soviet Union overwhelming superiority in global 'strategy." And there is much more. "The Defence of the Western World" by Gen. Sir Walter Walker is available from all League offices. Price 8O cents post-free.

FROM BRITISH "ON TARGET" (Jan. 28th)

Mr. Ken Dickenson, a regular contributor, has some acid comment on the current Rhodesian "majority rule" negations. We are able to quote from his article in part only:
"Dr. Owen's mission to Malta has nothing to do with the solving of the Rhodesian issue. It is merely a bid to outwit Ian Smith, who is trying for an internal settlement with Bishop Muzowera, the Rev. Sithole and Chief Chirau. Whether Dr. Owen or President Carter like it or not, the Anglo-American plot is dead, dismissed by every black leader at different times as utter nonsense and by Ian Smith as crazy. Dr. Owen is trying to resurrect the corpse because his political future is much more important to him than the Rhodesian issue itself.
The strangest aspect of all is that Dr. Owen, President Carter and others want to revive the plot at all costs, and so does Mr. Brezhnev. It may be strange to readers, but not to me, as Mr. Brezhnev has supported the Anglo-Americans all along, and he wishes to continue his arms supplies to Nkomo and Mugabe.

When the Anglo-Americans and the Russians saw the internal settlement plan might succeed, and that if it did, its momentum might result in recognition by some Western countries, and peace and prosperity restored, then Dr. Owen, President Carter, and Mr. Brezhnev had to do something about it. What inducements this unholy trio can offer to Nkomo and Mugabe is open to speculation, but what is known for certain is that the so called Patriotic Front are committed to a policy of murder, and with Brezhnev's support, there is no question of opposition from Owen, Callaghan or Carter.

Communist Intentions
"Only idiots can have any doubt about Russian intentions in Africa. First a Marxist Rhodesia, then a Marxist South Africa. In the meantime, they are determined to continue their expansionist programme in Africa by ensuring an Ethiopian victory against the Somalis and the Eritreans which will give them Massawa and Djibouti - they already have Aden and the Suez canal will be effectively sealed off as far as the West is concerned. This means no oil from the Persian Gulf or Saudi Arabia. The Russians are building seven submarines to every one built by America. N.A.T.O. commanders and the British Chief of the Defence Staff do not believe that this enormous military buildup by the Soviets can have anything to do with defence.
While the politicians cling to the monstrous detente trick, and its off shoots like Helsinki, Belgrade, S.A.L.T. talks, and the United Nations, the Russians forge rapidly ahead in their bid to conquer the world. But even the Russians do not want a nuclear confrontation. The only alternative is that the Kremlin believes that the West is on the brink of capitulation. If that is the case, one may think it does not matter about Rhodesia anyway. That is not my view. While some body is fighting the Communists, there is hope, and even pawns can win games...."

BRIEF COMMENTS

The Menace of Government

Modern governments have too much power; how little that power is used for good can be seen in the world we live in today. Any person who suggests handing more power to gangs in charge of government can have little knowledge of what happened in Nazi Germany and Russia, nor had any contact with the "Chosen People" in Canberra. The plain facts of the case are these: governments are a very convenient means of taking power from the individual and handing it to a legal abstraction called "the State. This tremendous accretion of power is then used by a small gang to impoverish and destroy any section of society which manages to raise its head above the serf state, or which refuses to punch a clock in a factory run by the labor-trade union-financial cartel. The way to fight this ungodly power is to expose it wherever possible, and personally to resist its illegitimate demands. The inefficiency and the incompetence of government organisations, and the impossibility of any group of planners being able to regulate the multitude of activities of a civilised community are bringing bureaucrats into conflict with the people. It is important that you should be able to explain to the victims of the bureaucrats why they have been hurt.
From "Our Sham Democracy", by James Guthrie).

MR. JEREMY LEE TO SPEAK IN MELBOURNE
On Wednesday, March 15th at the Loyal Orange Institute, 524 Elizabeth St., Melbourne. 7.45 p.m. sharp. Melbourne and near Melbourne supporters please note. Books on sale. Ample parking.