Leaders Wanted, Not Followers

Manawatu Times, Volume 69, Issue 65, 20 March 1944, Page 4

Leaders Wanted, Not Followers

(By Telegraph—Press Assn.—CopyrightJT (Special Australian Correspondent.) Received Sunday, 8.45 p.m. SYDNEY, March 19. ! A sharp rebuke to Australian of the Australian-New Zealand agree-, ment was made in the Senate by the Postmaster-General, Senator Ashley* Recent Australian criticism of the pact has been contined to Sir Keith Murdoch* the Press and to Opposition members of the Senate. Sir Keith Murdoch, whose newspaper interests include the MeU bourne Herald and Melbourne Sun and! News Pictorial, is chairman of the Aus-tralian-American Cooperation Movement here and his criticism has been based chiefly on the opinion that certain sections of the pact might be held t offensive to the United States. Much of : the Senate criticism has been a repetition of the views expressed by Sir Keith Murdoch. Opposition members ’ of the House of Representatives hare made no adverse comment on the agreei ment beyond pressing for an opportunity to discuss it in the House. Earlier the Opposition leader, Mr. Mon- ! zies, and deputy leader of the United Australia Party, Mr. Hughes, had spoken approvingly of the agreement. The great majority of Australian newspapers have made no comment on tho recent controversy. In their eagerness to make political capital out of the publicity given by | certain newspapers to attacks on tho agreemment with New Zealand, the ’ Senate Opposition had besmirched tho name of an intimately friendly Government, Senator Ashley said. Opposition members had stooped to make use of “irresponsible arguments and palpable misrepresentations’’ publicised by Murdoch and a section of the Australian Press. 'Their comments purported to show that the agreement attempted to give Australia and New' Zealand a monopolistic position in the South and ' Southwest Pacific. Much of their criticism, he regretted, to say, was insulting to New Zealand whose Prime Minister and senior Cabinet Minister, , had participated in framing the agreement. “The Pacific needs leaders, not followers,” said Senator Ashley. “Unfortunately, there are a few persons in . Australia who are prepared to surrender Australian territory despite the . appalling sacrifice and suffering of our i servicemen. Such men are potential quislings at a time of national crisis. They cry ‘stinking fish’ to everything Australia does in the interests of Ausi tralia. When the Government got aid from the United States they called it ' ‘anti-British.’ When the Government protects Australia’s vital interests in | tho Southwest Pacific they call it ‘antiAmerican.’ It never occurs to them i that the activities of the Government . might be merely pro-Australian.” Sena- ’ tor Ashley added that British Pres* comment had been almost wholly fav- ; ourablc to the agreement while favour--1 able comment in America had been conveniently ignored by those concernt ed in attacking the Government.