B.B.C. STATEMENT

Wairarapa Times-Age, 28 January 1942, Page 2

B.B.C. STATEMENT

CRITICISED BY AUSTRALIAN PRIME MINISTER REASONS FOR RECENT VISIT TO PERTH. MR CURTIN'S EXPLANATION. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) PERTH, January 27. A denial of statements by the 8.8. C. and a section of the London Press that \ he is spending a holiday in Perth was made by the Prime Minister, Mr Curtin, who disclosed that his visit followed urgent communications from the Admiralty. “Admiralty signals to Australia led to the Chief of the Commonwealth Naval Staff, Sir Guy Royle, requesting me to forward a highly confidential message to the Premier of Western Australia,” said Mr Curtin. “Propaganda, no matter where it comes from, does not influence my duty and my judgment in the performance of that duty,” added Mr Curtin. “What I am doing in Perth is imperative to the work associated with my office. “The 8.8. C. is always too garrulous, and frequently very ignorant. Its presumption in broadcasting my whereabouts while I am engaged on essential national work is no service to security. “Ministerial circles also strongly ob\ ject to the 8.8. C. referring to the Army Minister (Mr Forde) as Acting Prime Minister, instead of Deputy Prime Minister. Official protests will certainly be made to the British Minister of Information.” “No single nation can afford to risk its future on the infallibility of one man,” said Mr Curtin, in an Anniversary Day talk. He added: “Nor can any nation afford to submerge its right of speaking for itself because of the assumed omniscience of another. “We have said that Australia’s voice shall not only be an effective one, but that it shall be heard in a proper place. We have made it clear that the Government considered that its first duty to the people was that Australia should have its say in what, after all, is the shaping of her destiny.” In an Australian-wide broadcast tonight, Mr Curtin said that negotiations were proceeding which would soon result in Australia’s voice being heard effectively in Pacific strategy and the establishment' of close colaboration with General Wavell. Mr Curtin again appealed to the people of the Commonwealth to co-operate with the Government’s total war effort. The choice for all, he said, was to make some sacrifice to the enemy. People who stopped to argue with the Government would not be able to argue with the Japanese. Mr Curtin also said that the direction of this war was not one man’s job, no matter how brilliant his personal gifts. It is reported from Canberra that at a meeting of the Advisory War Council in Melbourne this afternoon, Opposition members were informed of the steps which the Australian Government had taken in its representations to the British Government about Pacific strategy. Mr F. M. Forde said that the Opposition members were closely co-operating with the Government.