EDITORIAL LIGHT ON RHODESIA

The daily press attacks upon Rhodesia's Government have been so uniformly vicious and misleading that it was like a blinding light in pitch darkness to read the editorial, "Force and Rhodesia", in the "Sunday Telegraph", Sydney, of October 31. We welcome this editorial and publish it for the benefit of readers who have not seen it:
"The Archbishop of Canterbury has rightly been criticised for his 'use arms' call in Rhodesia. Other churches have been quick to dissociate themselves from his view. And, as one high-ranking British Government Member said: 'This is a fine time to sign onward Christian soldiers, shoot your kith and kin.' Unfortunately, the Archbishop of Melbourne saw fit to utter views similar to Dr. Ramsey's and by so doing brought an Australian ecclesiastical opinion into this dangerous controversy."

'The Rhodesian Premier (Mr. Smith) faces great problems; and one of the greatest is persuading people that the best course for Rhodesia is one of gradualism. At present Africans can stand for Parliament, and they can make a constitutional bid for every seat in the House. All applicants for a vote, whatever their color, have to conform to the same minimal standards. Admittedly there is not majority rule in Rhodesia. But this is not Mr. Smith's fault. The 1961 constitution ensures that there is no limit to African political advance in Rhodesia."

"Some Africans, inside and outside Rhodesia, want African rule at once. Mr. Smith points out, quite rightly, that until Africans are READY to govern, a native government could only lead to another Congo. . Another thing. The majority of the natives in Rhodesia are NOT indigenous. They came because of the prosperity, which resulted from the white population's efforts in carving out wealth from the jungles."

"The problem of Rhodesia will not be solved by a helter skelter rush to give every native, however poorly educated, a vote. Nor will it be solved, or even helped, by deplorable statements such as that of the Archbishops of Canterbury and Melbourne."

A FOOTNOTE TO THE SELMA "FREEDOM MARCH"

SOUTH AFRICA HITS BACK IN PROPAGANDA WAR

It is interesting and encouraging news that South Africa has this week opened a new powerful international short wave transmission station near Johannesburg. It is reported to be 12 times as powerful as the existing transmitter. This should enable South Africa to reach through the press and radio curtain, and to defend herself against the distortion and misrepresentation, which has gone, unchallenged for far too long.
In opening the new station, the South African Prime Minister, Dr. Verwoerd, pledged that only the truth would be broadcast. It was not the intention, he said, to intrude on the privacy of the internal affairs of other nations.
"We are not interfering. We are doing what others do - but I hope not as others do".

The chief use of the station will be to break the propaganda monopoly which Russian and Chinese communist radio exercises over the African continent. Dr. Verwoerd pointed out that being a part of Africa, South Africa understood the African character and customs far better than other nations, and was capable of bringing them entertainment, which appealed both their hearts and minds. By attacking the Communist propaganda monopoly on the African continent, South Africa is making a vital contribution to the defence of the free world. But we doubt whether she will get much thanks for it.

If the molders of "world opinion" have their way in Rhodesia, they will then intensify their attacks upon South Africa.

R.S.L. LEADS AGAIN

Last week in Adelaide the RSL National Congress chided the Government for being slow in publishing a White Paper on Communism in Australia. A unanimous motion called for immediate action in the matter. Sir William Yeo, NSW State President said,
"Some of the best and most vitriolic cells of communism are in our Universities."

The South Australian State President, Brigadier T.C. Eastick, reported that he and his colleagues had given the South Australian Premier of the day the names of 19 people in education and public service who were communists and who were in the position to "upset things". Brigadier Eastick said that the State Government had confirmed the fact that the 19 people mentioned were all Communist party members. Our understanding is that nothing has been done about these Communists. When non-Governmental organisations like the RSL can expose such a large number of members of an organisation pledged to violent overthrow of Civilization, a more comprehensive report by the Government, which has access to what we hope is an efficient Security Service, should be possible.

NUCLEAR DEFENCE FOR AUSTRALIA

INDONESIAN REALITIES

After returning to Australia from a short visit to Indonesia, the Indonesian Ambassador to Australia, Major General R. A. Kosasih said in Sydney this week that President Sukarno was not convinced that the recent abortive coup was the brainchild of the Indonesian Communist Party.
"To accuse someone of direct involvement in the uprising at the present moment would be a little premature", he said.
General Kosasih also said that he was convinced that much evidence had to be collected before it could be proved that the Communist Party, as an organisation, was involved in the attempted overthrow of the Government.

General Kosasih's attitude further confirms our view that the Communist Party in Indonesia is suffering but a temporary set-back. President Sukarno is doing his best to ensure that the Communist reverses are not too severe. There is no doubt whatever that Sukarno was party to the attempted coup, which was designed to prepare the way for a complete take-over of the Peking orientated Communist Party.(The PKI)

If the coup had been successful, and only a miracle prevented this, Sukarno would have returned to Djakarta from the Halim airbase to preside over the new regime. When it failed, he returned to try to protect the Communists, not only at present, but also in the future after his death. Not one word of criticism has Sukarno directed against the brutal Communist murders of the Generals. If the Communists find after Sukarno's death that they cannot seize power directly, they will resort to the type of civil war they have already attempted. And they will exploit the Sukarno myth.

One of the most significant features of the attempted coup was that it coincided with Communist China's October 1 celebrations, and that Peking had invited no less than one hundred Indonesian Generals, national war college staff cadets, and hundreds of prominent Indonesian leaders, to these celebrations. While not all those invited went to Peking, the position was that a large number of Indonesian Military and other leaders were in Peking when the Communists attempted to seize complete power in Indonesia. When the Indonesian delegation arrived in Peking, the Chinese promised considerable economic aid for Indonesia, including desperately needed rice. When the coup failed in Djakarta, there was no more talk of aid.

The discovery of large quantities of Chinese arms in Indonesia, sent in cases allegedly containing building materials, also provided further evidence of Peking's complicity. Australian should note that the policy of "confrontation" is to continue.

In a clever dialectical move, Moscow has now promised more assistance to Indonesia. Moscow has equipped both the Air Force and the Army. Indonesia is still a major pawn in the Communist international conspiracy.