DR. CAIRNS INTENSIFIES MORATORIUM CAMPAIGN

"Dr. J. F. Cairns, the Labor MP, will fly to the United States tomorrow to invite leading Americans to attend an anti-war conference in Canberra in September. Dr. Cairns, chairman of the Victorian moratorium campaign, plans to invite, among others, Jane Fonda, Norman Mailer and Dr. Benjamin Spock". - The Age, Melbourne, July 20.

We have monotonously drawn attention to the fact that in the absence of a clearly defined Government policy on Vietnam, the various assortments of Marxists and their many dupes have been left with almost complete freedom to divide and mislead the Australian people. Dr. Cairns, who perhaps should be described as Ho Chi Jim, announced his intention of flying to the U.S.A. at a meeting in the Richmond, Victoria, Town Hall last weekend.
Dr. Cairns also told the meeting that the National Executive of the moratorium movement had recommended that representatives of "the forces of independence" in Indo-China and elsewhere be invited to a conference with interested sections of the anti-war movement in Australia. The Communist Tribune of July 15 had previously reported the same invitation. Tribune commented that, "If the government refuses permission for such a conference in Australia, the Moratorium will seek to hold it in another country such as Ceylon, Canada or India."

When the press reported on Monday, July 20, that the Immigration and External Affairs Departments would almost certainly refuse visas for Communist delegates, Dr. Cairns said, "It seems that a few extremist back-benchers - in conjunction with some departmental officials - are deciding Government policy." Wherever Dr. Cairns and his Communist friends hold their proposed conference, one thing is certain: the news media will ensure that the maximum publicity is given to the conference, and the propaganda it will be used to spread.

While the Moratorium movement is designed primarily to help further the international campaign against American, Australian, and New Zealand assistance to South Vietnam, it is also closely related to significant developments in internal Australian politics. Labor leader Gough Whitlam cannot be over happy about the increasingly militant activities of his Victorian colleague Jim Cairns.

It is an appropriate time to recall that when the West Australian State Executive of the Labor Party asked Mr. Whitlam last December to lead the anti-Vietnam campaign, Mr. Whitlam replied in the clearest of language that the ALP should not give the "false and damaging impression" that a Labor Government's foreign policies would be fashioned by mass public demonstrations. When the Federal Executive of the ALP later decided, unanimously, that the parliamentary party should take the full responsibility for the Moratorium, Mr. Whitlam refused to implement that decision. He did make an appearance at the Canberra demonstration. But he declined to sign a declaration of support of the Moratorium.

As the next Moratorium demonstration gets closer, it will be instructive to see what attitude Mr. Whitlam proposes to adopt. The campaign led by Dr. Jim Cairns is a challenge to him as much as it is to the Gorton Government. During the last Moratorium Prime Minister Gorton was comparatively weak, failing to place himself firmly in the lead of the opposition to the campaign being led by Dr. Cairns. Sir Robert Menzies would never have made this mistake. If it had not been for the efforts of the Government backbenchers, opponents of the Moratorium would have been left comparatively leaderless. Another failure by John Gorton to meet the Cairns challenge will not only have serious consequences for the Gorton Government, but for the Australian nation.

MIDDLE EAST REALITIES

"Washington, Mon. - President Nixon warned today that a continued Soviet build up of men and weapons in Egypt could upset the Middle East power balance and lead to war. Mr. Nixon gave his warning at a 'rushed' press conference on the Middle East and Indo China. Mr. Nixon said that it is important to keep the military balance of power in the Middle East so that no country will be tempted to attack or make a pre-emptive strike." - The Herald, Melbourne, July 21.

President Nixon's policy of attempting to maintain a military balance of power in the Middle East has been proved disastrous, and must become progressively more disastrous if persisted with. What is studiously ignored in all the commentaries on the Middle East, is that the Soviet Union played a major role in creating the new State of Israel in 1948, and has subsequently exploited most successfully the very situation it helped to create. The Soviet strategists have no desire at this stage to have Israel destroyed. Their immediate concern is to develop and consolidate their penetration of the Arab world. The ultimate objective is the conquest of Western Europe.

A major step towards this objective would be achieved if the Soviet could have the Suez Canal re-opened so that Soviet naval forces could move more easily from the Mediterranean Sea to the Indian Ocean. The Soviet has now built up a sophisticated air defence system approximately ten miles west of the Suez Canal. This system is out of range of Israeli artillery, while providing protection for Egyptian forces close to the Canal and cover for the advance of the superior Soviet Artillery, the spearhead of the Egyptian campaign to cross the Canal in strength. Unless the Israelis obtain not only more planes but more tanks and better artillery, it is only a matter of time before the Canal is opened for use by the Soviet. But a greater military build up by Israel would be used as an excuse for the Soviet to increase its support for Egypt.

The West's failure to pursue a constructive policy in the Middle East has resulted in the progressive overthrow of pro-Western Arab leaders. King Hussein of Jordan has now capitulated to his enemies. He could still be saved even at this late hour, but this would necessitate a major change of attitude by the West towards the State of Israel, and the frightful Palestinian refugee problem. Unless this change of policy comes, King Hussein is living on borrowed time, and eventually even Lebanon will be lost to the West.

WILL BRITISH GOVERNMENT STAND FIRM ON SOUTH AFRICA?

"Britain's new Conservative Government made clear today that it wants to resume limited arms sales to South Africa but will make a final decision after more consultations with Commonwealth nations and South Africa." - The Herald, Melbourne, July 21.

The continuing violent international reaction to the British Conservative Government's proposal to sell arms equipment to the South Africans for the purpose of protecting the vital Cape sea route indicates that this policy is regarded as a major threat to the strategy of the International Communists. Prime Minister John Vorster has stressed the obvious truth that South Africa does not require offensive weapons, as she is not planning to attack anyone.

But the enemies of South Africa are not interested in truth.Even some supporters of the DLP are blindly echoing Communist-inspired propaganda concerning South Africa. It is claimed that Australia will only get itself a "black eye" internationally if it shows any sign of collaborating with the South Africans in the defence of the Indian Ocean and the Cape route. Who of importance is Australia going to upset by adopting a more constructive approach to both South Africa and Rhodesia? Tanzania has threatened to leave the Commonwealth if the British supply the South Africans with arms. As Tanzania is a major African base for Communist-trained terrorists, and has thousands of Red Chinese stationed in the country, Tanzania offers little hope of making any contribution to Australia's future security. Surely Australians are not going to be influenced by the views of pro-Marxist Governments in India and Ceylon? Of what value is a Pakistan snuggling up closer and closer to Red China?

Japanese exports are pouring into both Rhodesia and South Africa. If Australia and New Zealand do not use every ounce of their influence to encourage the British Government to stand firm on the policy of arms for South Africa, they are indirectly assisting the strategy of International Communism. We recommend that every reader of OnTarget immediately send letters, or telegrams, to Federal Government Members, and Senators, urging them to encourage the British Conservative Government's policy of supplying arms to South Africa. This is one of the most constructive actions any Australian can take at the present time.

WHY VOTE AT 18?

"Why lower the voting age? Do the majority of 18 year olds WANT the added responsibility of having to vote? Most of us have either joined the work force or entered higher educational institutions by this age; that is, we are just finding out in our own stumbling way about 'life'. Having left the secure schoolroom atmosphere, through experience we begin to learn the expected responsibilities of a mature citizen. I believe that at 21, with the experience gained over the previous three years, we will be better able to form sounder judgments at the ballot box in matters concerning Government policy." - Letter in The Herald, Melbourne, July 21, by G. Vincent of Bairnsdale High School.

The commonsense of the young author of the quoted letter makes refreshing reading at a time when the most sickening nonsense is being talked and written about the urgent necessity for the voting age to be lowered. At a time when the whole concept of responsible voting and responsible governments has been swamped by the collectivist mania, it is a manifestation of the death wish for a people to accept a further extension of irresponsible voting.

The Socialists of all types have always been in the forefront of the campaign to have the voting age lowered. Apparently intelligent people will accept without question the view that because a young person of today has had more facts crammed into his head than did his father at the same age, he is therefore more qualified to express an opinion on issues of far reaching national importance. We have no doubt that there are many 18 year old science students of today who know more about some subjects than did, say, Edmund Burke, the famous British historian, philosopher and politician. But wisdom and judgment do not come from soaking up facts like a blotting paper, but from actual experience of life. And this takes time.

Not only are there political motives behind the campaign to force a reduction in the voting age; there are commercial motives. Coinciding with the lowering of the voting age will come the lowering of the age for the acceptance of legal responsibilities. Young people will become the targets of commercial interests primarily interested in luring them into buying expensive goods under hire-purchase schemes. Young people will also expect to be permitted to marry at 18 without the consent of their parents. The social consequences of this can already be studied in the much higher percentage of broken marriages amongst those marrying younger than 21. If Civilisation is to be saved, more personal responsibility is a must.

AUSTRALIA FACES "BIAFRA" THREAT IN NEW GUINEA

"Something like a Biafran situation could develop in Papua-New Guinea if Australia moved out too quickly, the Prime Minister, Mr. Gorton, warned last night." - The Australian, July 20.

While it is to the credit of Mr. Gorton that he has, so far, resisted all attempts to force him to set a target date for independence for Papua-New Guinea, his reference to the possibility of another Biafra, and his supporting remarks, indicate that the Australian Prime Minister is poorly informed on what has happened in Nigeria.
It was not only that the British moved out of Nigeria too quickly, but that they insisted on a highly centralised Federal Government from Lagos. The revolt of the Biafrans was a bid for self-determination by the Ibos. The result was a bloody struggle in which the British Socialists and the Soviet joined in an unholy alliance to assist the Federal Government against the Biafrans.
Since the collapse of the Biafrans there has been a veil of silence concerning what has been happening in Biafra. There is irrefutable evidence that starvation is worse than it was during the civil war, and that the Federal Government in Lagos has not honoured any of the promises it made at the end of the fighting.

A Biafra will certainly develop in Papua-New Guinea if the Australian Government persists with the myth that the diverse peoples can be brought together under one centralised Administration. If the Australian Government insists upon this policy, then it will be demonstrating that it has learned nothing from the tragedies of Africa. The diversity of the people of Papua-New Guinea is such that some loose form of Federation is the only practical approach to the development of a European type form of Government.

ON TARGET BULLETIN

SUBJECT FOR DISCUSSION
The Nature of Money

The treatment of money as wealth is one of the most dangerous superstitions of this century. Irrespective of what form it takes, money is a claim to wealth. In the absence of wealth it is as useless as a railway ticket in a country where there are no trains. Money in a ticket system. A railway organisation uses tickets to allocate the amount of wealth available - the number of seats. Trains are never run half empty with customers being told that they cannot travel because there is a shortage of tickets! When the train journey has been completed - the equivalent of consuming wealth - the tickets are destroyed. They have served their purpose.

As explained simply in "The Creation and Control of Money" (price 25 cents from Box 1052J, G.P.O. Melbourne) the bulk of a modern nation's money supply is created by the banking system in the form of what is called financial credit, it is created by writing figures in bank ledgers and authorising those granted loans to write cheques. Cheques are money instruments in the same way that notes and coins are money instruments, only they are much more convenient. But financial credit is also cancelled as loans are repaid. Elevating a money ticket system into an end in itself, instead of it being used simply as a means to an end, recalls Christ's famous statement that it was impossible to worship both God and Mammon. Practical Christianity demands that money be made man's servant instead of being used to enslave him.