THE LIBERAL PARTY AND "RIGHT-WING EXTREMISM"

"The Staff Committee directs the attention of Federal Executive to the attempts being made to attach to the Liberal Party the brand of what might be called Right Wing Extremism ... There is evidence of extreme Right Wing 'Plants' in party branches. The activities of the 50 club at Kings Cross Sydney, the Warringah 'incident', the pro-Rhodesian and pro-Apartheid manifestations should be read as warnings. Our Labor opponents may be expected to be active in attaching to the Liberal Party, a right wing faction as potentially dangerous as the Right Wing A.L.P. faction that produced the D.L.P. The Staff Committee designed to impair the unity and undermine basic principles of the Liberal Party" - A Confidential submission (No, 3) to the Federal Executive of the Liberal Party.

We are not in the position at present to state who comprise the Staff Planning Committee of the Liberal Party, but the above submission, and others, indicate that the Liberal Party is being poisoned from the top by individuals who are the very ones undermining the basic principles of the Liberal Party they claim to be so concerned about. Reference to the Warringah 'incident' is most revealing, as it indicates support for Mr. Edward St. John, the strong supporter of the UN and opponent of Rhodesia.
In view of the mounting sympathy for Rhodesia inside the Liberal Party, this must mean that "Right-wing extremism" is growing amongst the Liberal Party Members!

If the Staff Planning Committee of the Liberal Party knew its business, it would know that public support for Rhodesia is such that a pro-Rhodesian stand is very good politics.

SIR ROBERT MENZIES ON RHODESIA

"The old rule of natural justice has been that both sides of the case should be heard. To my simple colonial mind the elementary rules of fair play have not been followed, because Rhodesia has not been allowed to be present. I am not a racialist, but I still believe that the dispute is one between the Government of the U.K. and the Government of Rhodesia, and this was agreed unanimously by the Commonwealth Prime Ministers. Later, equally unanimously, they agreed to the problem going to the United Nations. There is an old Presbyterian rule about taking problems to the Lord in prayer. That is one thing, but taking a problem to the United Nations is quite another.
I think the Rhodesian problem became insoluble when the United Nations was invited to take control, in the most conspicuous abandonment of British responsibility ever seen". - "Some hitherto off the record comments made by Sir Robert Menzies at a recent function in London" and quoted "by permission" in Political Intelligence Weekly (England), September 13.

We trust that the above statement by the founder of the Liberal Party will be brought to the attention of those so worried about "Right-wing extremism".
Having reluctantly agreed to the initial British sanctions against Rhodesia, Sir Robert Menzies has obviously had many second thoughts since on the Rhodesian issue. There is no hope whatever of the Rhodesians agreeing to any type of policy demanded by the United Nations. And it is difficult to see how Mr. Harold Wilson could take the Rhodesian issue away from the United Nations now, even if he wished to do so.

Last weekend Sir Robert Menzies made an appeal from his sick bed in London, that the old British Commonwealth should be strengthened. This can only be achieved by the nations of the old Commonwealth ceasing to be influenced by the United Nations.

RED INFILTRATION INTO ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH

"Archbishop Geraldo de Pronea Sigaud, SVD, of Diamantina, Brazil, has denounced 'Communist infiltration in the Catholic Church of Brazil', Le Monde, Paris daily, reported". - The Tribune ( Melbourne Catholic Weekly), September 12.

The evidence continues to mount concerning Communist penetration of all sections of the Christian Church. In a statement to the press in Paris on August 16, Archbishop Geraldo de Pronea Sigaud said: "Communist infiltration in the Catholic Church of Brazil is so visible that only the desire to preserve an appearance of Catholic life or the desire not to alarm the faithful can explain the fact that priests and bishops deny it".
The Archbishop went on to state that Communists have probably entered the seminaries and then "have been raised into the clerical hierachy", adding that many Priests and Catholic leaders "repeat, as if they were children, Communist slogans against North American imperialism and neglect censuring the world's worst imperialism, which is Communism".
These charges come as no surprise to those who have studied the Communist campaign to red-ant the Christian Church from within.

INTELLECTUALS ADVOCATE VIOLENCE

"A meeting of Melbourne University students last night voted that violence in Australian politics was justified. The motion was carried by 112 to 89 votes with 21 abstentions" - The Sun, Melbourne, September 13.

Violence in Australian politics, violence in American politics, violence in British, French, German, Mexican politics, with that new force in revolutionary political activity, the Students to the forefront. The phenomenon of "student power" all over the world is now established as a key weapon in the revolutionary turmoil engulfing the Western world. The only country in the free world in which "student power" has been challenged is South Africa where Mr. Vorster has warned that the Government will not be intimidated by students who "have got too big for their boots".
In Communist countries there is of course, no such thing as "'student power".

The evolution of the principle of violence as a justifiable and legitimate form of activity has been given greater impetus over the last few months. The lead has been taken by intellectuals, tutors, lecturers, professors and ministers of religion joining in a sophisticated campaign to moralise on "violence as a last resort in obtaining civil rights" as the Rev. S.I. Weeks backed by the Rev. J Westerman recently put it. (On Target August 23)

In the above report Dr. Alan Roberts, Monash University physics lecturer helped along the vote for violence when he advised his students, "you will be ineffective if you confine yourself to nonviolence." He was joined by student Mr. Albert Langer who "what we are advocating is the use of violence against violence". Mr. Langer along with Mr. Michael Hyde ("The University is a means of revolution" On Target June 28) are seeking election as Communists to the Public Affairs Committee at Monash University. Explaining their stand they said, "The Communism we are advocating is, of course, not the 'peaceful co-existence' of the Soviet Union and its followers, but revolutionary socialism".
On the basis of that definition we can expect in a few months to have Russian intervention in Biafra and Czechoslovakia labeled "peaceful co-existence".

Adding fuel to the semantic ferment on the question of "violence" we have such undefined statements as those by the Rev. Arthur Preston of Wesley Church in Melbourne where a national platform is provided for speakers on social issues. In his sermon reported in The Age, September 23, he says, "The church must be more revolutionary than communism ... 'Jesus Christ was the greatest revolutionary of all time ... He released explosive ideas designed to destroy the old order of discrimination and selfish competition and bring in new co-operative social order...' It is the Christian's duty to seek a creative response to the revolutionary fervour of our day. This means less talk and more action", said Mr. Preston.
Was Mr. Preston talking about the revolutionary doctrine of Christian love, which shuns violence and disorder as a means to an end? We doubt it.

Fed to a young audience and using trigger words which are the trademark of the Marxist, "discrimination, selfish competition", in conjunction with "the new co-operative order", there is little doubt about the intent of such a sermon. Especially when the audience knows the views of the speaker on such matters as race, Vietnam etc.

From Mr. Preston we can go to Mr. John Howes Lecturer in Philosophy at the Melbourne University writing in the regular feature, Life and Church, in The Age, September 6, when he reports on the thinking coming out of the general committee of the Australian Student Christian Movement, which talks about "Christian humanism" and Jesus as "the inspirer of change".
Mr. Preston again: But Mr. Howes goes on in his report, "From the Gospel straight into reform and, if necessary, revolution", and we are assured that "the way of self-giving love cannot bypass politics".

We agree that Christianity cannot bypass politics, but not with the perversion, which today has almost destroyed the basis of civilisation established through the teachings of Christ.

DIALECTICAL MOVES CONTINUE IN CZECHOSLOVAKIA

"Heavy military traffic over Prague yesterday suggested the Soviet Union may be starting a pullout of occupation troops" - The Age, Melbourne, September 24.

Anyone reading the newspapers ever since the Czech "crisis" started must recall similarly worded reports, amongst the thousands of other speculations, prophecies etc. There are still the hard facts, however, which must be remembered. The position of the Soviet as the dominant force in Europe, and the role of the conspiracy has not been dented one iota. We continue to talk peace" at Paris, allow Russian ships into Haiphong enroute to Australia to pick up wool, after discharging their lethal cargo intended to kill and destroy Australian soldiers and our friends in the process of being betrayed in Washington, London and Canberra.
While all this goes on we sit back and are entertained by the Moscow Moiseyev Dancers who cannot be described other than agents of the conspiracy peddling their particular dose of sedation to the conscience of the West.
The Russians moved some 600,000 troops into Czechoslovakia accompanied by thousands of tanks without as much as a peep out of NATO.

Experienced observers of this conspiracy over 50 years must find it difficult to come to any other conclusion than the Czechoslovakian exercise was the result of long term planning designed to further the grip of Communism while making a tremendous assault on the fact failing moral reserves of the West.

ARCHDEACON LEWIS IN RHODESIA MAKES ANOTHER PLEA

"For years I worked in Tanganyika, thinking of nothing but the souls committed to my charge. Now from Radio Tanzania streams of false hood are pumped into this country in the African languages, accompanied by shrill demands that every Rhodesian African seize his spear and kill the nearest white man. Tanzania has a Christian President; it has Christian bishops and priests. But is this Christianity? I believe that in Rhodesia every priest - every Christian - has a duty to do what lies in him to ensure that Rhodesia does not go the same way" - The Australian Church Record, September 19.

Readers of the excellent publication Rhodesian World Report will recognise the source of this plea from Archdeacon Lewis, it being sent to the Australian Church Record by an interested reader of that journal.
Archdeacon Lewis continued, "From all over Rhodesia and beyond I get perplexed letters asking why the Church will no longer speak out against evil… A white churchman born in Rhodesia who has devoted his life to the service of Africans told me recently: "I don't go to church much now, I am tired of being berated for oppressing the Africans!...
Archdeacon Lewis tells how, "Recently I myself suggested in print that the Church should condemn falsehood and murder and stand for peace and African progress. Within days I was howled down on the BBC by Paul Oestreicher, an Anglican priest who is prepared to hold dialogues with Communists but not apparently, with Rhodesian Christians".

We were interested to note a recent report from London on the Rev. Oestreicher who was dealt with on television by Pastor Wurmbrand when the Rev. Oestrreicher questioned the views of the Pastor. From his background of 15 years imprisonment and bestial torture by the Communists the Pastor warned the Rev. Oestreicher on the state of his soul. The Communists have ensured there are not too many Pastor Wurmbrand's around to warn those who are destroying Christendom.

ON TARGET BULLETIN

SUBJECT FOR DISCUSSION
UNDERMINING THE STATES

The last few weeks have been marked by an upsurge of protest and criticism by State Premiers against the Federal Government. The fundamental cause of complaint is the financial relationship of the States to the central government. Tasmania, South Australia and N.S.W. have indicated they will be forced to join Victoria in imposing either the Purchase Tax or something similar. Mr. Askin the N.S.W. Premier threatened Federal Members of the Liberal Party in N.S.W. that the State Liberal Party would withdraw support from Federal Party.

Sir Henry Bolte in his Budget Speech said "The Commonwealth was using its vast and unbridled dominance to turn itself into the old fashioned moneylender. The States are going into pawn to the Commonwealth which is making vast profits out of its money lending operations!"
Another report from N.S.W. said that within a few short years the States would be using all the money they can borrow to pay the interest bill on money already borrowed!

It is agreed that we have brought about some real understanding of fundamental issues in the thinking of politicians on the question of the U.N. and Rhodesia. This work has been done in the face of a continually deteriorating domestic situation. A situation where people are being continually harassed by economic problems with increasing intensity. In such a situation both people and politicians are often not prepared to give attention to important matters of foreign policy, which vitally affect their future. They tend to become more concerned with bread and butter issues.

Financial policy in the hands of the Federal Government will eventually destroy decentralised forms of Government, and with them the power of the individual to decide his own future. Therefore in our general study of this situation and our work in the V.P.A. we should seek to obtain a balance in educating our members, both State and Federal, on the importance of these national and domestic matters. Any breakthrough on these vital policies would undoubtedly give us a sounder base on which to present vital arguments dealing with international relationships.

We should continuously present the viewpoint to Liberal and Country Party members that it is useless to talk of economic and political freedom unless it is decentralised, close to the individual, allowing the maximum of diversity and choice. The whole concept of a continually rising tax and cost structure should be attacked as being the result of centralisted control where the individual has little or no say over what is done with his money.

We cannot re-iterate enough to our politicians that the bureaucratic, the socialist structure, and the inflationary base on which trade union and communist agitation operates is the result of the financial policies of the Federal Government.
If we can get that understanding established with our politicians we may make progress in establishing a sound base to deal with other problems.