"EXPERT" ON NAZIS PROVIDES A GOOD LAUGH

Examining mass election bribery, and the sickening hypocrisy and dishonesty of politicians, is not a pleasant business. We therefore feel that we should start this issue by sharing with our readers a good laugh provided by one Mr. David Harcourt, author of the latest political smear effort known as "Everyone Wants To Be The Fuehrer."

As might have been expected, The Age, Melbourne, asked THE expert on The League of Rights, Mr. Mike. Richards, to review Mr. Harcourt's book. Mr. Richards had a major criticism to make: Mr. Harcourt had not devoted sufficient space to The League of Rights. True, Mr. Harcourt's book is supposed to be an examination of The Australian and New Zealand Nazi movements, and an objective reviewer might well have asked why the League of Rights, strongly opposed to all forms of totalitarianism, was mentioned at all. But one of the purposes of the book is to foster the growing campaign of smearing the League of Rights.

The Age of November 21st published a lengthy letter from Mr. Harcourt, in which he commented on the Richards review of his book. In essence he explained that he had deferred to the greater authority of Mr. Richards on the subject of the League. This type of modesty is very becoming in a young man like Mr. Harcourt. Perhaps it was this modesty which prevented him from pointing out that when he did mention the League he had at least demonstrated a much more powerful imagination than Mr. Richards. He had "discovered" that Nazi members had also been members of the League of Rights!

This story is a complete fabrication. But no doubt Mr. Harcourt has a job to do and cannot be too fussy about the truth. When Mr. Butler wrote and told Mr. Harcourt that he had neither time nor the inclination to provide him with information sought, including original documents quoted in League journals, he received a letter from Mr. Harcourt dated November 19th, which concluded as follows:- "I shall continue to report the activities of your organisation as accurately as I can. This would seem to me to be the most effective way of ensuring its destruction." There were loud gusts of laughter at League headquarters when this serious warning from this learned young man was read out for all to enjoy.

The League has managed to survive, and to continue growing, ever since 1946 in the face of much more serious opposition than Mr. Harcourt is likely to offer. Mr. Harcourt has a column in the weekly porno-political journal known as The National Review. Many of the contributors endeavour to demonstrate their sophistication and "emancipation" by using four letter words. We notice that Mr. Harcourt is making progress with his "emancipation".

The Editor of this sick journal is Mr. Richard Walsh of Oz fame. But it is also part of Mr. Gordon Barton's empire. Yes, the same Mr. Barton of The Australia Party who is very strong on "the quality of life." It was the same high-minded gentleman who in addressing the Press Club in Canberra claimed that he had been offered $50,000 to forget the Australia Party and to take a safe seat in the Senate. One of the major parties had offered this bribe. But Mr. Barton then refused to say which party had made the offer. Mr. Barton has the effrontery to talk about responsible government.

We have been asked how Angus and Robertson came to publish Mr. Harcourt's book. Well, first there is the fact that Mr. Harcourt works for Angus and Robertson. And then there is the even more interesting fact that Angus and Robertson is now also part of the Gordon Barton empire! Needless to say, Mr. Harcourt's book is being sold by the Communist bookshops. But they say that sales are very poor. Mr. Richards keeps popping in and out of the International Bookshop, Melbourne, but has still to publish the new edition of Gott's Voices of Hate. When or if this little hate work does reappear, no doubt Mr. Harcourt will be able to review it in his weekly column! What Mr. Harcourt has yet to learn is that every attack on the League of Rights, even his pitiful efforts, hastens its development. But if he cares to send us any more funny comments we will appreciate them. We really do have a sense of humour, Mr. Harcourt, Thank you for brightening our week.

THE HON. IAN SINCLAIR CONFRONTED AT URALLA, N.S.W.

Mr. Ian Sinclair, Minister for Primary Industries, will not forget for a long time his street meeting in Uralla, N.S.W. on the morning of November 15th! Mr. Sinclair had been challenged by the National Director of the League of Rights Mr. Eric Butler to meet him in public debate at any place inside his own electorate, on November 14th, to defend before his electors his foul allegation that the League of Rights and the Nazi Party were "closely linked ". When the media publicised the challenge, Mr. Sinclair first claimed that he had not received Mr. Butler's telegram, inviting him to debate. The PMG insists that it was delivered to Mr. Sinclair's Department in Canberra. As Mr. Sinclair's published itinerary showed that he was in New England for a number of meetings, and that he was to speak in Uralla on the morning of November 15th, Uralla was selected for the debate. On that day Mr. Butler received an urgent telegram from Mr. Sinclair declining to debate.

This courageous Minister, prepared to use the Wesley Church pulpit to give the League national publicity by smearing it, now stated "I can see no point in giving publicity or even nominal support to the League of Rights." The Uralla meeting went ahead with Mr. Butler giving a documented exposure of Mr. Sinclair. The following morning Mr. Butler, accompanied by Mr. Jeremy Lee, Queensland and Northern N.S.W. State Director of the League, and three women League supporters attended Mr. Sinclair's street meeting, listened patiently to the usual double-talk in which many politicians specialise and then subjected Mr. Sinclair to a barrage of searching questions, which left him most discomfited.

All his verbal weaving did him no good at all. Mr. Butler told him that many of the League supporters he had defamed by his pro-Nazi charges had been risking their lives fighting Nazi Germany when he was still in knickerbockers. Mr. Sinclair had no answer to Mr. Lee's question of why, if he really believed in individual rights and the decencies he had been talking about, why he was not prepared to meet League representatives in a public forum to enable them to defend themselves against his false allegations. It was significant that the only witness he mentioned for his anti-League views was Mr. Edward St. John, bitter anti-League campaigner.

When asked what did he mean by his charge of "racism" against the League of Rights, and where did he stand on immigration, Mr. Sinclair provided a frightening glimpse of the type of double-talk many Government spokesmen are using to justify their growing betrayal of Australia's traditional immigration policy. Mr. Sinclair actually said that a homogeneous society could be preserved by bringing in non-Europeans so long as they can be "integrated"! Non-European ghettoes are already starting to form in Australia.

If Mr. Sinclair thinks he has heard the last of his smear of the League of Rights, he is in for a shock. A special Open Letter, documented and hard-hitting, from Mr. Eric Butler, is already starting to flood throughout his electorate. This Open Letter will be published in full in the December issue of the League's Intelligence Survey. The contents of this document will be discussed long after the elections. We have no hesitation in recommending that League supporters throughout New England make every effort to have Mr. Sinclair's majority reduced on December 2.

AN HISTORIC POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT

The independent chairman of the Wimmera, Victoria, Electors' Association meeting at Horsham on Saturday 18th, described the event as "historic". As yet the mass media has made little reference to the most significant political development in Australia, the action being taken by Electors' Associations to insist that in a genuine democracy it is the responsibility of the electors to initiate policies, and to request before elections that candidates appear at meetings run by the electors to answer questions on these policies. Candidates are also being requested to sign contracts with electors.

Following the elections the League will be publishing a comprehensive survey of what has been done, and the lessons learned, by the Electors' Associations, League of Rights Voters Policy Associations and individual actionists. What is being done now is preparing the ground for the really "big push" after the elections. The following are but a few highlights concerning the new type of political movement.

Following his recent visit to Western Australia, Mr. Eric Butler predicted that in spite of what appeared as a national pro-Labor swing, Forrest could prove one of the sensations of the elections. The League had openly campaigned against Foreign Minister Gordon Freeth at the 1969 elections, insisting that his "soft" line on the Soviet Union's move into the Indian Ocean must be rejected.

It was felt that the best way to get a warning message through to the Coalition Government was to remove Mr. Freeth. The League's campaign played perhaps a decisive role in the shock defeat of Mr. Freeth. Labor Member Kirwin has been foolish enough to take a strong anti-League of Rights line. He refused to attend any of the three public meetings conducted by the Forrest Electors' Associations. His supporters distributed anti-League literature. The Liberal, Country Party and DLP candidates all co -operated in the electors' meetings. Mr. Kirwin has clearly disqualified himself and all League supporters should place him last, and campaign against him, Liberal Party candidate Drummond should win if Mr. Kirwin is defeated.

The biggest electors' meeting to date was held in Toowoomba, Queensland. In spite of the inclement weather the Toowoomba Chronicle reported an attendance of 250. It was originally rumored that the representatives of the Liberal and Country parties would not attend. But as they felt the groundswell of electoral pressure they had a conference and decided it would be best to attend along with the Independent and the DLP candidates. The ALP refused to appear. An independent panel questioned the candidates before the audience participated. We are informed that the further the meeting went the more impressive were the DLP and Independent candidates compared with the Country and Liberal Party candidates.

Mr. Eric Butler, who recently visited the Darling Downs, predicts that the strength of the Independent and DLP vote in the Darling Downs could be one of the highlights of the elections. A small group in the vast Kennedy, Queensland, electorate has shown considerable resourcefulness They first held a public meeting at which those attending drew up a policy statement to which all present agreed, and then approached all candidates for their signatures. They explained that replies would be circulated. Labor candidate Tony McGrady frankly said that he represented his party, but if "my Party proposed legislation which was in my opinion detrimental to the people I would be representing I can assure you that I would not only speak out loud and clear against the legislation but I would vote against it in the Parliament." That could prove quite an historic undertaking.

That master of double-talk, Country Party Member R. Katter, wrote, "You can be assured that I will, as I have done over many years... fight against an increase of direct or indirect taxation." Mr. Katter has voted consistently for every budget INCREASING taxation! At a recent Country Party meeting Mr. Katter gave a wonderful speech, - "almost as if he had been reading League literature", said one report - but his attitude changed dramatically when asked to put his signature to a contract form! The candidates just do not like this idea of backing their words with a signature. As one Member of Parliament was recently told, "You are prepared to write a cheque promising to do all kinds of things for us, but you will not then put your signature to your own cheque, thus making it worthless." This type of language is being heard up and down the country.

A number of supporters, who have been members of parties, have used the League contract forms in another most effective manner. When they received the usual invitation from their parties to contribute they sent the contract forms to the parties' candidates stating that they could not possibly contribute until the contract form is signed and returned. One supporter sent the League $50 and informs us that he told the Liberal Party that he would also send them $50 if his Liberal Party candidate signed the League's contract form and returned it to him!

One of the "key" electorates is Diamond Valley, with Liberal Party Member Mr. Neil Brown fighting for survival. Viciously anti-League, Mr. Brown says he will sign nothing. The active Diamond Valley Electors' Association is informing electors what they should do about Mr. Brown. The pioneer Murray Electors' Association is urging a "responsible informal vote". Country Party Member Bruce Lloyd rejects the concept of being a representative. His majority must be reduced. None of the candidates were prepared to attend one Electors' Association meeting - until they started to receive a flow of contract forms from electors! Where used extensively the League's contract brochure is having a most remarkable effect. As one candidate is reported to have said, "If this idea catches on, where the hell is it going to finish?" Yes, indeed! As we said, political history is being made.
All election comment authorised by Eric D. Butler, 273 Little Collins Street, Melbourne. 3000.