LEAGUE OF RIGHTS GROWTH WORRIES MARXISTS

The real problem is to free the (Communist) party from the kind of dissension and organised disruption and sabotage that limit its effectiveness in the mass movement, a task made all the more important and urgent by the growth of the neo-fascist Australian League of Rights." - W. Gollan in the Communist weekly, The Tribune, Sydney, July 28th.

The deteriorating national and international situation has resulted in a growing awareness amongst increasing numbers of Australians that they are faced with a crisis threatening the very foundations of Civilisation. The accelerating growth of the work being fostered by The Australian League of Rights provides the only hope of constructive action being taken in time to avoid the threatened disaster. The Marxist view of crisis is that it provides the Marxist-Leninist with the opportunity to destroy the basis of traditional society. The Marxist believes that the "capitalist" system contains the seeds of its own collapse, and that each new crisis in the finance-economic sphere is a manifestation of the inevitable working out of the law of dialectics.

The informed Marxist fears that the constructive policies being advanced through the League of Rights would bring the finance-economic system under the effective control of the individual, thus removing the basic cause of crisis, and denying the Marxists the conditions they must have for victory. It is therefore natural that the Marxists are vitally concerned to have The Australian League of Rights discredited if possible, relying upon "useful innocents", shortsighted party political hacks, and their numerous contacts inside the news media.

The major technique of those promoting the nation-wide campaign against the League is to encourage the use of political swearwords. Comrade Gollan described The League of Rights as "neo-fascist", while in Queensland Dr. Leigh Wallman, formerly prominent in the Liberal Party, who attempted to smear Mr. Eric Butler at the famous Dalby debate, has recently re-entered the campaign, describing the League of Rights as "pro-Nazi". He was, like Mr. Edward St. John, given adequate space in the press to make this and similar allegations. The League is "extremist", "racist", "anti-semitic","sinister", and much more.

It is unfortunately true that some good people have become casualties in the campaign against the League, accepting what they have heard because they have not had the opportunity of learning otherwise. But as the crisis deepens, and the attacks on the League are intensified, increasing numbers of people have decided to make their own investigations. And as they learn the truth, they are starting to share it with others. The current anti-League campaign can now be seen as an essential drawing of the major battle lines for a struggle, which will decide the future of Australia.

WHY DID ACTU PRESIDENT HAWKE GO TO RUSSIA?

"Did the ACTU President (Mr. Hawke) make a special trip to Moscow as a secret diplomatic envoy for the Israeli Government? Speculation that this was Mr. Hawke's reason for an unscheduled visit to Russia has developed following his refusal yesterday to give any details of his five-day visit," - Ian Carroll in The Age, Melbourne, July 30th.

The following facts concerning Mr. Hawke's recent overseas trip appear to have been established: His trip to Israel was financed by Political Zionists in Australia. (It would be instructive to know if Mr. Isi Leibler had any part in the project.) In Israel Mr. Hawke had talks with the Israeli Prime Minister, Mrs. Golda Meir, and senior Israeli Ministers. Mr. Hawke then flew from Israel to West Germany, where he conferred with Mr. Heinz Veter of the West German Trade Union movement. Mr. Veter had suggested to Mr. Hawke that he visit Moscow to discuss changes in the attitude of the Soviet Union towards Trade Unions in the West. But before going to Moscow, Mr. Hawke returned to Israel, where, according to one report, he had talks with the Israeli Foreign Minister, Mr. Abba Eban. Mr. Hawke then flew to Moscow. Mr. Hawke has so far declined to say who he talked to in Moscow, but that "he had brought nothing back which would be applicable to Australia."

Some of the speculation that Mr. Hawke was acting as a secret Israeli envoy in Moscow stems from the fact that Israel has had no diplomatic representative in Moscow since the six-day war in 1967 and that there have been recent reports of unofficial peace moves between the two countries. Needless to say, there is no record of Mr. Hawke lecturing the Soviet leaders on their world-wide aggressive and subversive activities, telling them that unless they change their ways, he will have all future visits by Soviet athletes, the Moscow circus, and the Bolshoi ballet, subjected to boycott by the Australian Trade Union movement. Mr. Hawke has a very selective type of conscience, and it only worries him when he thinks of the South Africans, who are not trying to conquer and subvert the rest of the world, but who are attempting to hold a major strategic base for the West against Communist global strategy.
Whatever the complete truth about Mr. Hawke's recent international project, it is clear that he is now of some real significance in the field of world power politics.

COMMON MARKET BATTLE INTENSIFIED

"The rebel Conservative MP Mr. Enoch Powell said yesterday it would be an indelible break of honor for the Government to join the Common Market if the Labor Opposition opposed it. Mr. Powell was making his first speech on the Common Market since Britain's agreement with the Six." - The Australian, August 2nd.

Mr. Enoch Powell is a politician with a keen sense of political timing. He chose exactly the right moment to make his hard-hitting and explosive addresses during the British Elections last year, thus helping the Conservatives to win in the face of all the evidence favoring the Wilson Government. No doubt he has carefully selected the time to launch his first major broadside against the Heath Government. Mr. Powell has skillfully drawn attention to the pre-election statement by Mr. Heath that British entry was conditional on the full-hearted consent of the British Parliament and the people. He declared that this was a binding affirmation of principles by Mr. Heath "which have never been disputed or denied." Mr. Powell's attack came a few days after a junior Minister in the Heath Government. Mr. Edward Taylor, resigned because of his opposition to the Common Market. Anti-Marketeers are showing plenty of resourcefulness by conducting where possible local referenda on the Common Market issue. The Heath Government has strongly opposed the holding of an official national referendum. ]

The Australian of August 2nd reports that three polls conducted by Keep Britain Out Committee produced a two-to-one majority against British entry into the EEC. But even more significant is a report provided by Mr. Don Martin of The British League of Rights, in his On Target of July 24. The Political Freedom Movement, under the chairmanship of former Australian Air Vice Marshall Donald Bennett, conducted a poll in the town of Hexham in the constituency of Mr. Geoffrey Rippon, chief British "negotiator" on the Common Market. Mr. Rippon realised the significance of this unofficial referendum, and spent a considerable sum of money with a firm of public relations on top of the full time activities of the Conservative Party agent. The poll achieved a 55 per cent return of ballot papers, much better than the usual turn out for local government elections, The poll showed 73.2 per cent against joining the European Economic Community, with only 26.8 in favour.

The Second Battle for Britain hinges on whether the overwhelming majority of the British people, who are opposed to surrendering their independence, can impose their will upon their elected and paid political servants. The philosophy behind the Heath Government's attitude is similar to that of most modern Governments, who insist by their activities that the individual belongs to Government. In a genuinely free society Government exists to serve the individual.

SHOW DOWN ON UNIVERSITIES URGENT

"Queensland University Vice-Chancellor (Professor Zelman Cowen) said yesterday he believed the university 'strike' was being used by some as part of a plan to bring down the university." - The Courier-Mail, Brisbane, July 30th.

The Communist Tribune, of July 28th, declared, "Strike at Queensland University highlights new protest wave." Attempts were made at other Universities to involve students in "strike" activities. Recent developments in some of Australia's Universities stem from past failures by those responsible to take a firm hand with those obviously wanting to bring the Universities to a state of complete chaos.

Since being in Brisbane Professor Zelman Cowen has had to face some of the facts of revolutionary University activities. The spurious liberalism which Professor Cowen and some of his academic colleagues have promoted in the past has made its contribution to the present threatened break down. It is obvious that administration at both La Trobe and Monash Universities in Victoria is far too weak to meet the crisis, and that something firm must be done immediately.

The Democratic Labor Party in Victoria is to be commended for giving a lead with a submission to the Acting Victorian Premier, Mr. Hamer, requesting that the administration of both Universities be handed over to the Public Service pending a full public inquiry into the running of both Universities. The DLP suggests that an inquiry should ascertain whether any academics, or academic departments have failed to discharge academic functions "honestly, competently and diligently", whether there has been any misuse of buildings and finances by students, former students, academic staff or administrative staff to disrupt studies and discipline.

It is the responsibility of the State Governments to insist that law and order is maintained on University campuses. And it is high time the Commonwealth made it clear that in future all scholarships will be paid to parents, or guardians not directly to students, and that all students who are studying on scholarships will lose them if they are found guilty of engaging in the type of activities which have become a national disgrace.

RURAL CRISIS A NATIONAL QUESTION

"If there is an exodus from rural areas, what will become of the mammoth investments in decentralisation? What will become of the investments in hospitals, education services and railways in country areas? Will they be written off, or at best severely marked down? And will an intolerable burden be placed on the now over-strained facilities in the cities? " - Farm writer Kevin Boyle in The Age, Melbourne, July 30th.

The continuing rural crisis is basically a reflection of the crisis now affecting all sectors of the Australian economy. But, unfortunately, as the crisis deepens, so do national tensions, with one section of the community tending to blame other sections. In desperation some primary producers are concentrating all their wrath upon secondary industry, correctly pointing out that tariffs are a form of subsidy running into thousands of millions of dollars every year. But it is dangerous to select a few examples of what might be over-protection while ignoring the fact that tariffs are essential in the national interest, and that they are not a basic factor in creating inflation.

Reflecting anti-tariff feeling, Country Party leader Mr. Doug Anthony, supported by Prime Minister McMahon, has said that there will be tariff reductions. This in turn has produced some strong words from the Associated Chambers of Manufactures and the Metal Trades Industry Association, who are warning the Government that if there is any drastic reductions in tariffs, it will be thrown out of office. Already there are warnings that there is no firm prospect of halting the rural crisis by more primary producers diversifying into beef production; that it will only be a matter of time before there is beef over-production. A collapse in the beef industry along with the wool industry crisis would result in complete chaos in many of Australia's rural communities.
The investment of at least $300 million per year in the wool industry would be an act of national salvation at the present rime.

It is generally overlooked that the last increase in the national wage bill of approximately $900 million was also a form of subsidy, designed to help the wage earner keep abreast of inflation. Only a third of that figure, financed realistically out of new credits, would not only save the wool industry, but would halt the rural crisis, ensure that the nation's past investments in decentralisation were protected, and avert the enormous economic cost of attempting to solve the problems of even bigger capital cities.