THE COMMON MARKET BATTLE AND COMMUNIST EXPANSION

Mr. Eric Butler, National Director of The Australian League of Rights, is at present lecturing in North Queensland, where representatives of the sugar industry have suddenly become aware that their future could be seriously affected if the United Kingdom joins the European Economic Community. Mr. Butler comments on the current situation concerning the Common Market.

Members of the North Queensland Rotary Club I addressed last week were frankly startled when I told them some of the facts concerning the Common Market question. They had not been told previously that the basic aspect of the proposed British entry into the European Economic Community was not negotiable at all, and that representatives of the sugar industry were deluding themselves if they believed that the British Government could make any arrangements to assist the sugar industry in the future. In order to join the European Economic Community the British Government must accept the Treaty of Rome, which is the written constitution of the EEC.
Prime Minister Heath has frankly stated that he will accept the implications of the Treaty. If it had not been for the fact that the local District Governor of Rotary was present, reporting on a recent visit to the United Kingdom, and had agreed with my assessment of the mounting tide of British opposition, I felt that my listeners might have thought I was exaggerating when I said that I had no doubt that if the British people were consulted, the United Kingdom would not enter the EEC.

I have insisted from the beginning of the Common Market battle that if the financial groups and British politicians attempting to push the United Kingdom into the EEC were prepared to try to trick the British people, they would have fewer scruples about attempting to trick members of the British Commonwealth. I have studied at close quarters some of the leading pro-Marketers in the United Kingdom, and they remind me of Shakespeare's character who declared that he could smile, and murder while he smiled. Behind the smokescreen of constant propaganda that nothing would be done to harm Commonwealth rural industries, and that the future of the Commonwealth must never be jeopardised, the groups and individuals prepared to betray a thousand years of history were actively engaged in treating Australian rural leaders, and Australian politicians, as "suckers".

In the past I found many resented this type of assessment. They smugly insisted that we must trust the "negotiators". Well, the harsh truth is now coming out, perhaps barely in time to enable some more constructive action to be taken. In a report in The Courier-Mail, Brisbane, of June 11, London correspondent Noel Hawken confirms what I have constantly claimed, Mr. Hawken says that when the history of the Common Market battle is written, the question will be asked whether "Australia's politicians have been played for suckers?"

Mr. Hawken correctly states that there is something "tragi-comic" in the way that Country Party leader, Mr. Doug Anthony has arrived in the United Kingdom. Mr. Anthony has suddenly discovered the facts of life. But this is not surprising when one considers how Mr. Anthony has permitted a bunch of socialist theorists at Canberra to lead him around by the nose for so long. Mr. Hawken tells the harsh truth when he describes the pro-Market strategy was to lay down", in British and overseas, a heavy propaganda barrage on the line that Australia is a fully developed country, with diminishing dependence on trade with Britain anyway. This has worked to dissolve any feelings among the British themselves of special responsibility, let alone guilt, towards us. At the same time to keep alive, as much as convenient the traditional ties of sentiment. To keep all assurances to Australia as warm but as highly abstract as possible. No firm promises.

It is only through the dedicated efforts of the anti-Common Market groups in the United Kingdom that the truth about the situation has reached the British people, who as they come to understand it, are increasingly hostile to the proposed sell-out of their own sovereignty and that of the Commonwealth. Contrary to what the cynics say, there is still a tremendous pro-Commonwealth sentiment amongst the British people, who almost instinctively realise that in the dangerous world in which they live today, Australian and New Zealanders are much more likely to stand firmly with them in a crisis.

During the early part of the Common Market battle, the pro-Market propagandists had the effrontery to suggest that by joining the European Economic Community the British would be helping to strengthen resistance to International Communism. I pointed out that exactly the opposite would be the case. We now no longer hear any more about the Common Market being a barrier against Communist expansion. Rather that Australia and New Zealand should seek to send their production to Red China and the Soviet Union.

Labor-Socialist Premier of South Australia, Mr. Don Dunstan, has now started to intensify this "line". He says that the Red Chinese are willing to help Australia. Of course they are, At a price. The Soviet Union is standing ready to "assist" Mauritius if its sugar industry is threatened by British entry into the European Economic Community. The Marxist strategists are well aware of the deeper implications of the Common Market battle. If the leaders of the Australian sugar industry and other Australian rural industries want to have some real impact on the issue, they should forget all about trying to influence the dedicated Marketeers like the arrogant Mr. Geoffrey Rippon, but rush some financial contributions to those leading the campaign in the United Kingdom.

Reports coming through indicate that it's the growing upsurge of British public opinion, which is most likely to halt the sell-out of the British and Commonwealth heritage. Mr. Don Martin, National Director of The British League of Rights, and playing a key role in coordinating all British opposition to the Common Market, could make effective use of some of the money now being wasted on futile efforts to persuade Mr. Rippon and his colleagues to look after their interests. Mr. Martin's address is 65 Craddocks Avenue. Ashtead, Surrey, England.

CANBERRA SURRENDER TO COMMUNIST STRATEGY

"The Liberal Party Federal Council yesterday endorsed the Government's moves to open a dialogue with China. But it suggested more positive attitudes to encourage Peking's apparent new mood". - The Australian, June 2.

With every day that passes it becomes increasingly obvious that Red China's ping-pong diplomacy was nicely timed to take advantage of the increasing internal finance-economic problems of the non-Communist nations. Prime Minister McMahon spoke at the Federal Council of the Liberal Party. If the reported statements are correct, then we must be excused from accepting Mr. McMahon's own definition of himself as a "very, very anti-Communist" leader. Anyone with the most elementary knowledge of the Red Chinese leaders knows that it is the most dangerous nonsense to talk about a "new mood" in Peking; the suggestion being that the long term Marxist-Leninist strategy for world conquest has been given over.

Liberal Party Members should be challenged to provide any evidence whatever to suggest that there has been any more change in Peking's long-term strategy than there has been in Moscow's long-term strategy. And where are all those strong anti-Communist Liberal Party Members at present? Do they agree with Australia's move towards recognition of Red China and increasing dependence upon Red China as an export market? It is also a most opportune time to ask where the Liberal's coalition partner, the Federal Country Party stands.

One of the unfortunate developments in modern politics is the blatantly cynical disregard for even the stated principles of one's own party. Supporters of the Country Party who have been insisting that the Parry work to implement its own stated policy, such as effective decentralisation, abolition of probate, and long-term credits at lower interest rates, have been charged as "disruptionists". We now learn that the Federal Country Party policy is being re-drafted. We can only wonder whether the Country Party will remove from its policy strong opposition to Communism and other objectives. The march down the Liberal-Socialist road is being intensified. It can be halted, but only by an informed and determined electorate which refuses to compromise on fundamental principles.

UNITED NATIONS REALITIES

"The United Nations, already overburdened with disloyal employees, faces the threat of anarchy when the Secretary-General U Thant, retires, a former U.N. official said yesterday". The Australian, June 14th.

From the very foundation of the United Nations, we have warned that not only is this organization useless, but that it is an international mischief-making organization, a sounding-board for Communist propaganda, a box of evil tricks at the disposal of the shadowy forces which manipulate the 'votes' in the Security Council, many of the 'voters' representing little more than a few groups of primitive tribes, whose votes are manipulated to the disadvantage of nations with sophisticated societies and cultures e.g. South Africa. These 'votes' go to make up that absurd myth.

WORLD OPINION

How many idiotic and treacherous policies are executed in the name of this world opinion! The sanctions against Rhodesia for one. The record of the U.N. in the peacekeeping campaign in the Congo is hideous! It's failure during the Hungarian uprising in 1956, in Czechoslovakia in 1968, in Tibet, in Biafra; everywhere, its record is deplorable. The sooner this abomination is swept from the world scene the better. And yet we have our pitiful politicians, little puffed-up marionettes who delude themselves that they possess a shred of power, who mouth high-sounding objectives in the name of the United Nations and World Opinion. The real wire-pullers, who have their horrible control over the course of world events, must be convulsed with derisive laughter as they watch the Heaths, the Trudeaus, the Nixons and McMahons, and all the others, pop up like toy soldiers to say something clever.

Never let us forget that the mass media are ever breathless in their desperate endeavours to persevere in the fiction that our Governments have any real and lasting control over their own affairs. This won't happen until an alerted and aroused electorate, and an INFORMED electorate, asserts itself in ways known to us. This won't happen until we make the politicians, who now consider themselves our masters, become what they should have always been; our servants! Those who want more factual information concerning the United Nations can do no better than study the little booklet - "Light on the United Nations", available from Box 10523, G.P.O., Melbourne, 3001. Price 36c, post-free.

SECRET BALLOTS IN UNIONS IN VICTORIA AND N.S.W.

"Victoria was likely to introduce legislation to force unions to hold secret ballots on the question of strike action, the State Minister for Labor and Industry, Mr. Rafferty, said yesterday". - The Australian. June 8th.

Similar legislation is planned for N.S.W. The Victorian legislation would apply only to unions covered by State determinations, and is designed to block moves for compulsory union membership. The principle of compulsory unionism, it seems, will raise its hoary head again. It was a hot issue back in the early fifties.

The League of Rights then took an active part in opposing compulsory unionism; and it is still, and always will be, opposed to it. The League stands for the greatest possible freedom for the individual, and opposes compulsion of the individual by irresponsible bodies, be they trade unions, or governments.

Trade Unionism, to be representative of the rank and file of working people, must carry the goodwill and interest of its members. Otherwise, it becomes a vehicle for manipulation by unscrupulous men. There is the strongest evidence that this has been happening. We can safely predict that there will be an organized campaign of opposition to this particular legislation from Communists and the Left, including strikes.

Communism means the denial of the rights of the individual, irrespective of what it says and the imposition of compulsion on individual's means that those doing the compelling gain power. Compulsory unionism means that the individual has surrendered some of his power to the Union Boss, who may or may not use this power wisely.

If the Union Bosses are Communists, or even sympathetic to Communist objectives, then this means that a mere handful of subversives can use the power and resources of unions AGAINST the real interests of the nation. We have had a taste of what can happen in the fairly recent power strikes in Victoria. A handful of men were able to shut down the whole State for a day at a time. Is it any wonder that Communists are the strongest champions of compulsory unionism!