MAN OF HOUR IN SYDNEY'S WHARF FIGHT

Chronicle (Levin), 20 March 1947, Page 6

MAN OF HOUR IN SYDNEY'S WHARF FIGHT

(Speciul Correspondent).

REACTION TO DARBY' S BATTLE WITH COMMUNISTS

Received Wednesday, 10. 1U p.m. SYDNEY, March 19. The ceiitrai figure in the waterside strike situaliou in Sydney now is the 36-yoar-ohl Englishman JDouglas Darby, who is the Liberal representative for Manly in the New ISoutli Wales Legislativd Assembly. lle is regarded by the v'onimunists as tlieir niost dangerous i'oe and by many citizens as the only uian who is taking active steps to restore to thein their potatoes, sugar and salt. JJetween these two extremes opinion is sharpiy divided. Mr. Darby, who is good-luoking and of burly build, lirsi visited Australia in 1920 as a ship 's steward. Two years later.lie was back with scholastic ambitions which he at once set out to realise. He .studied at the Sydney Teachers' Trainiug College and a year later took charge of his iirst scJiooi. Ln 1934 he took the degree oj Bachelor of Econoinics at Sydney University. Politics then ciaiined his inlerest, but it was not until 19-10 tliat he won Ihe Manly oy-eiection and resigned as a teaclier. On two previous occaslons, during the transport strikes late iast year and early tliis year, he incurred the wratli of the strikers by organising eniergeucy transpoft. Yestordav wi'uie battling with tlie Comniunists in the Sydney Doniain he had to forget for the nioiuehh tliat. his wife was waiting to go to the hospital to have a second child. Bearing visible nnirks of the liglit Mr. l)arby today is planning an " operation potato" by which he intends to unload irotatoes froni three ships iminobilised in port if the Governnient does not take a liand. Ile niay have to do tliis without police protection for Preniier McGirr has niade no secret of liis contention that. Mr. Darby 's action in calling a public meeting in the doniain to eiilist volunteer labour was an inciteinent to niob violence. Mr. Cliihey has coudemned noting by the watersiders but beyond tliat there has been uo Governnient reaetion. The newspapers are solidly behind Mr. Darby in urging the State or Eederal Goveriuueut to take action. ' ' The incident demonstrates liow far Ihe ( 'oniniunists are determined to go to p ut prcssure on the coinmunity so that it will beg fodmercy," says the Telegrapli. If the Governnient refuses to give volunteers police protection it endorses the Comniunists and supports their eli'orts to force the issue by making the public suil'er. " Yesterday 's riot was not a spontaneous or isolated affair, " coiniuents the Herald. "It was obviously pre-

arrauged and was symptomatie of the growtli of fraternal violence which if it be not cliecked will beconie a menace to civil liberty and peace. " The >Sun suggests that the motivc of the Coinmunists is to goad the coinmunity into action, hoping thus to find some counter organisation which they can denounce as Fascism. "Whether oi not Mr. Darbv was wise in calling the meeting, no Australian with any love of democratic freedom would vvish to rob him or anyone else of the. right of free speech," concludes tlie Sun. "It was lef't to the Comniunists, who hate the Australian idea of freedom, to do that with bludgeons and boots. ' '