MORE LIGHT ON MR. EDWARD ST. JOHN

In recent issues we have dealt extensively with the disturbing case of Mr. Edward St. John, Q .C., endorsed Liberal Party candidate for Warringah, N.S.W., President of the South African Defence and Aid Fund, which sponsored the recent Australian tour of African revolutionary, Mr. Robert Resha, and a man who has strenuously denied that Mr. Resha's African National Congress is Communist influenced. We return to this important matter because prominent Liberals, including the Federal President of the Liberal Party, Mr. J. E. Pagan, are desperately attempting to whitewash Mr. St. John, and to justify his endorsement of Mr. Resha.

Mr. St. John has made much of the fact that members of the South African Defence and Aid Fund must make a declaration that they do not hold Communist views. Writing in "The Bulletin", Sydney, of November 12, Mr. P. W. Maclagan, Hon. Secretary of South Africa Protest, a Victorian Organisation, stresses that although it has on occasions co-operated with the South African Defence and Aid Fund, "it does not ask its supporters or members to make any similar declaration."

Closely associated with South Africa Protest is the Rev. David Pope, one of the pin-up pink clergy so often featured in the Communist press. Mr. Maclagan concludes his letter by observing that, "the Defence and Aid sub-committee of South Africa Protest requires no declaration of any kind from its supporters. Neither does the Christian Action Defence and Aid Fund, London, the parent Defence and Aid committee, require any such declaration."
This last statement confirms what we said last week about Communist influence in the London Defence and Aid Fund.

It is time that the Australian Government made thorough investigations about what happens to the money collected by Mr. St. John's organisation. If this money is being paid to the London Defence and Aid Fund, then there are good reasons for believing that some of this is finding its way into the hands of criminal Communists in South Africa and elsewhere. As Mr. St. John takes such a keen interest in South African affairs, we have no doubt that he is familiar with the dramatic trial of the top South African Communist, Braam Fischer, Q .C., early this year. Fischer was outwardly a brilliant member of the South African Bar, an amiable, kindly man, but at night was a fanatical Communist.
One of the main State witnesses at the Fischer trial was Bartholomeu Hlapane, a Bantu who had served the Communist conspiracy so well that he became a member of the Central Committee. But he became bitterly disillusioned and repented.

Giving evidence at the trial of another Communist, one Fred Carneson, in Cape Town, Hiapane said:
"We are in the situation today where we (the genuine Bantu members of the African National Congress) feel one has got to come out with the truth, nothing else but the truth. I do feel that the African people can still proceed and struggle for their rights. But only on legal lines and without the Communists. The Communists have been in the African National Congress too long… These White Communists promised that the families of those in jail would be cared for with money collected abroad. The money came into their hands and they were not prepared to fight with their friends… Thousands and thousands of monies have been raised abroad and today there are so many Africans in jail who were not defended.
"We claimed that we shall defend these people, we claimed that we shall protect their children, but through Defence and Aid and out of them the Communist Party has been able to get the money for its own self ... The White Communists are very dishonest. They are now living in the best hotels in London with money that was destined for the African people". (Our emphasis).

We would suggest that Mr. Hlapane is a much more authoritative witness on the subject of the domination of the African National Congress by the Communists than is Mr. St. John. And we would further suggest that Mr. Hlapane was particularly well placed to know how the Communists have used funds supplied through various Defence and Aid Funds.

Further evidence that funds from the Defence and Aid in London have been used to further criminal Communist activities in South Africa, including sabotage and bombings which have caused loss of life, was provided by a letter from the notorious Left-wing Canon Collins to Walter Sisulu, former Sectetary-General of the African Congress, who travelled extensively behind the Iron Curtain, and who admitted at the Rivonia Trial under oath that the African National Congress and the Communist Party were closely affiliated.
In his letter to Sisulu, dated April 19, 1963, Canon Collins wrote:
"I often think of you, particularly now while you have to languish in prison. I hope your appeal will succeed and we shall certainly be ready to foot any necessary bill this end ... I have Solly Sachs (former South African Communist leader) working with me now on the Defence and Aid Fund and he keeps me well-informed of everything that is happening ... On my behalf he is now managing the appeal for the Defence and Aid Fund and I am glad to say there is, once again, a growing response. We shall certainly do everything we can to go on helping until the liberation movement succeeds in its purposes.
"Christian Action will, through its Defence and Aid Fund, do everything possible to raise financial assistance to cover the types of circumstances about which you write, particularly the cases which arise as a result of the so-called Sabotage Act."

Here was an open admission that the parent Defence and Aid Fund was being used to endorse sabotage. Giving evidence at the Fischer trial, Bartholomeu Hlapane said:
"Braam Fischer was the treasurer of the Communist Party. The activities of Umkhonto We Sizwe (the revolutionary arm of the African National Congress) were frequently discussed at meetings of the Central Committee at which Fischer presided. He had to find money for the continuation of Umkhonto We Sizwe. Some funds came from London, others from the Defence and Aid Fund in the Republic of South Africa, and money was also received from Moscow and Peking ... (Our emphasis)

Hlapane testified that Fischer was strongly in favour of widespread sabotage and revolutionary activities.
Asked, "What was the relationship of the Communist Party to the ANC?" Hlapane replied:
"All policy making in the ANC was first discussed by the Central Committee of the Communist Party."

In face of the mountain of irrefutable evidence that the African National Congress is the tool of the Communist conspiracy, Mr. Edward St. John accepts the word of Mr. Robert Resha that there is no Communist influence in the ANC whatever, and endorses the Australian tour of this revolutionary to collect funds.
A thorough Government investigation of this most disturbing affair is urgently necessary. This investigation should include the question of to whom funds raised by the South African Defence and Aid Fund are sent.
It is simply dodging the basic questions for Liberal Party apologists to claim that Mr. St. John is strongly opposed to Communism.

The Western world has been steadily losing in the struggle against International Communism over half a century in spite of the fact that Western leaders have claimed that they were strongly anti-Communist. What is urgently required today is a real understanding of Communist strategy and tactics in depth. In the controversy concerning the Resha affair Mr. St. John has clearly shown that he does not possess that understanding.

HAROLD WILSON'S ALL-TIME LOW AGAINST RHODESIA

From "The Sunday Express"(London) of November 6:
"Next Sunday at 11 a .m. the peoples of the Commonwealth will be mourning their dead of two World Wars at the Cenotaph in Whitehall. All save the Rhodesians. Their representatives are banned from attending. So Rhodesians instead must go to the Cenotaph at 2.15 p.m. to mourn separately.
And this shocking affair does not end there. Now it is ruled that even the Scots Guards' band which was to have played at their service must stay away. What is in Mr. Harold Wilson's mind? He may hate Mr. Ian Smith. But why does he extend his spite to the dead?
What possible justification is there for dragging into the quarrel men who came voluntarily from the safety of their own land to fight and die for us?"

Adding further insult, Mr. Herbert Bowden, Commonwealth Secretary, said that he would lay a wreath at the official Cenotaph ceremony, attended by the Queen, on "behalf of Rhodesia".
A spokesman for the Rhodesians said that nearly 1000 Rhodesians gave their lives in the last war and Rhodesians in Britain resented being excluded from the service attended by the Queen. Like all doctrinaire Socialists, Harold Wilson is at heart a ruthless dictator. This little man has shown just how mean and petty he is with his treatment of the Rhodesians. But he was effectively answered when a much larger number attended the Rhodesian ceremony at the Cenotaph last Sunday than attending the official ceremony.

MR. ARTHUR CALWELL'S BLIND EYE ON RED CHINA

"Red China, which Mr. Holt would like people to believe threatened Asia and Australia, was now one of our biggest trading partners… Labor would continue to trade with China, but cease this humbug about China being our enemy'." - "The Age", Melbourne, of November 15, quoting Mr. Arthur Calwell in Brisbane.
Presumably Mr. Calwell has not heard of Mao Tse-tung's blue print for world conquest, and the up to date version of this presented last year by Mao Tse-tung's successor, Lin Piao.
Australians cannot afford a Prime Minister so blind as Mr. Arthur Calwell at this perilous time.

Election comment authorised by Eric D. Butler, Alma Road, Panton Hill, Victoria. Supplement. Issued 18th November, 1966.

ON TARGET BULLETIN
TARGET FOR THE WEEK

The League of Rights' intervention in the Election campaign has already exposed the Government's most sensitive nerve: its double-standard foreign policy of economic war against friendly anti-Communist Rhodesia, while increasing economic aid is being sent to the Soviet Union and Red China, the bases from which the war in Vietnam is being directed and sustained.

One of the opening shots was fired at Box Hill, Victoria, when the Federal Treasurer, Mr. W. McMahon spoke in support of the local Liberal candidate, Mr. Alan Jarman. The Federal Treasurer was most uncomfortable when questioned on economic aid to an enemy Australian troops were suffering to defeat. He said he strongly objected to calling his Government's policy a double-standard one, and attempted to argue that trade with the Communists enabled the non-Communists to become stronger economically, and thus able to fight the Communists more effectively. If pursued long enough, this policy would result in Communism withering away.
The questioner replied: "This is just what Lenin would like to hear."
The audience showed deep interest in the question.

On Tuesday night of this week League actionists attended a meeting at which the principal speaker was the Attorney-General Mr. Billy Sneddon. Mr. Sneddon has clearly learned something from the League's educational work on Communist global strategy, because he mentioned Lin Piao's famous concept of world conquest through the three main global "rural areas" of the world: South America, Asia, and Africa. The well-attended meeting applauded when a League questioner asked in view of what Mr. Sneddon had said, how did his Government justify a policy in Africa against Rhodesia, which conflicted with its policy in Asia.
The questioner also mentioned trade with the Communist enemy.

Mr. Sneddon attempted to claim that there was no conflict in the Government's policy.
On Rhodesia the Australian Government was merely following the British lead.
On the question of trade, he gave basically the same reply as Mr. McMahon.

As he finished the questioner was on his feet again and asked Mr. Sneddon: "Would you have advocated that policy in 1939?" at which Mr. Sneddon, extremely nettled, told the questioner that he was attempting to have "two bob each way", and that he should get a hall of his own if he wanted to make a speech.
A member of the audience shouted out "Why don't you answer the question?"
The questioner was introduced to Mr. Sneddon after the meeting and he attempted to "square off" by saying that many members of the Government were worried on the Rhodesian issue". But he was not keen for any discussion.

The President of the local Liberal Party branch said to the League questioner afterwards that he was pleased he had spoken up and that he would like to know more about the case for Rhodesia.