November 1943
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T'lte UrrlGlAL ORGAN OF W ..A. BRANCH R.S.S.AI . L~ ComD..nle, · .,ru.;.. acknowJ..dq.C aa ouch, muol not REGISTERED AT · G.P.O.. P.ERTH FOR Establ.i.shed 1920 THfi ...;,.,...arily be docepled aa oldlinq the official Yiewpolnl. r t'RANSMISSION BY POST AS A NEWSPAPER ·, VOL. XXII. No. 11. PERTH: WESTERN AUSTRALIA NOVEMBER 15, 1943 the Armistice period in 1918. ~oday, even while we are in the midst of a Armistice-or Total Peace total war, men in all countries are plan ning for a total peace . It is true-. that, during the last war, one hearQ_.-high On this year's annivers~ry of the Great "We do not want war with races, sounding but .vague allusions to a '"land Armistice there was some justification ar such. We war against tyranny fit for heroes t<Ylive in," and a "world for the parallels drawn '?etwe.en the posi· and w~ seek to.preserve ourselves made safe for democracy" ; but these tion, during the past few weeks, and that· pious aspirations were forgotten immedi of Octooer 1918. There are distinct from destruction. These are the ately the peace treaty was signed. The parellels, although there are also certa~ two targeta we aim at-Na':r;i ty measures adopted for the prevention o'f essential differences. In 1918, Germany s rany and Prussi~n militarism." future wars were nothing more than pre allie8 had been forced, orie by one, to -Mr. Churchill at Quebec. ventive. They took the form of a Lea ask for armistice terms, while the arch· gue of Nations Covenant, with its Sanc enemy was le'ft to fight qn to his pre· tions against aggression, which were de destined doom. At the present time, only rided by aggressors who felt strong one of Germany's Allies has been forced German- Army gave way first, and it has enough to do so. There was also an ac-. to ask for a separate peace, and that been accepted as. an axiom in this war ceptance of the dubious principle of self peace-can be only partial, while German that the German home front will not determination .for racial minorities, which soldiers occupy more than half <;>f Italy. crumble until the German armies have· Hitler so astutely turned to his own ad It is evident, however, that the Italian been decisivefy beaten in the field. At vantage in the Saar, Czechoslov;1kia and people will do all in thei~ power to ~elp present, the German defeats on the Rus· Dantzig. The physical impotence of the . th~ Allies to liberate their country, JUSt sian ~ront have been more disastrous, and League of Nations, and the two-edged as popular risings have taken place. in the German losses in men a'nd material sword of Eelf-determination, contributed Yugoslavia and Greece, and ;tre bemg have been far more appalling than the, very materially towards making the pre pr,epared in the occupied countries .of disasters of 1918. It may be early yet to sent war inevitable. Western Europe. The satellite countn~s speak of tJle effects of these disasters on of Eastern Europe are s~owing signs of the German home front, but there is at In contrast with 1918, when the decent breaking away. The strongest and most ready evidence of the spread of defeatism nations of the world were groping blindly pro-Axis of them all, Bulgaria, has stead- inside Germany, and a consequent slack towards \better things, the civilised world fastly refused to send troop.s to aid ~he ening in war production. In this war, t~day is collaboratiQ_fl in the t~sk.of p~~ Germans in Russia, . though Bulganan there is the essential difference from the nmg a new world order. This time, tt 1s garri,s·ons have relieved th~ Germans .in last, that the civilian population of Ger• fully recognised that international ac Macedonia and Yugoslavia. Rumama, many has been directly· and constantly tipn and agreement must be the basis df w,hich h~ suffered more than any of~t- under fire. There has been little intcr the total peace. The need for political ler's Balkan Allies, ha.S been bled whtte mission in the air o&slaught on German actl'~n to prevent wars is recognised, as by the war against' Russia, and would production centres and communications. it was in 1918, but this time far greater welcome any kind of peace, however This continuous onslaught has achieved stress is being laid on removing the humiliating it might bC. Hungary, ac- its object in.-idisorganising German pro· causes of wars. Economic factors, both cording to a Swedish Press report, has duction and transport systems~ It' has inside the nation and in the international decided to withdraw· her troops from also had the secondary effect o·r d1sturb· sphere, are receiving their due meed of Rus5ia, 'k.hile Finland, again according ~9 ing civilian _morale, o~ fra~i~~ civilian f attention. Th!!re seems to be a general a ,Swedisli report; is about to ask Russta nerves, and of destroymg c1v1han confi· agreement that isolationism mmt give cfnce more for a separate peace. ~ dence in the German leaders. way to international co-operation in the The' furphy which German propagand- It. is early yet to say t? what extent, realm o'f economics, as, well as in the poli / ists cherisheo throughout the years be~ or how soon, the c:umulattve effect of all tical rea~m. tween the two -wars was Ohat the Qer- theoe1things will bring the Germans t9 uian armies were unbeaten in 1918, and their knee§. The end will probably come N~ one in Britain or in Australia to· that it . .was the home front which· gave with dramatic suddenness, even as 1t did day imagines that when the war epds way. :Those of us who w~e on the in. 1918; but· there is still Japan to be everything will switch back automatically \l?,~~t~r~.· F~o~t· at t~e' t~e, at?-~ saw .the reckoned with, arl.d the de~~~f Japan to the gay abandon of peace. The old G~.an ~~ r.e:Ung backwards··!-IDder may prov~ a long and ~M J~b~ . order .must .change, "yielding place to a ·sene. of. cnpplfng . ~ ?Wa, kno:w _tha~ There 15 o~e feature o'f-..the. present · new"," · but it would be .eguaJly futil~ to t~ ·~~n ·~l~itn ii arrant nonseh.e. The sit!uation that was · abient from that of imagine that the new order we . aesire ' ~ Page 2 NOVEMBER 15, 1943 will be . brought into being by the mere launtinr of a formula. At best, such Singapore tbinrs as the Atlantic Charter and the' ' Escape from Beveridge Plan are blue-prints for the ~ On November the Stale Ex~cu ti ve get the General away with them. The · future. They have been well and care- d d 3 matter was broache<l ten ere a recepti· On l o the (jener•al to General Ben fully prepared, and are excellent 'in in- Manager of the Australian Broadcast- nett, and the Commander-in-Chief, Gene tention. But is is for Mr. Everyman and ing Corporation, Colonel .CI~ arle .s J. ral Percival, was also informed. Mrs. Everywoman to see that the dream. Moses. Introducing this d1 stmgmshcd T here were many difficulties at the out-:. · of the architect is not turned i nto a &uest the State .President (Mr. T. S. set. The first and greatest was that of nichtniare by the ineffici ency of build.ers Edm~ nd son) remarked 0 11 the happy getting through the Japanese lines. The during -the period of transition that will coincidences that within a few days the next was that o f getting. a boat te"take follow the war. In that transition period, Executive had entertained two tormer the escapees off the island. In regard we must be prepared to make sacrifices members of that famous unit, the B? r· to General Bennett there were the per for peace, a s we a re now m aking them de'f Regiment, who are now. occupy1ng sonal d ifficulties that his · -surren4er for war. Probably those sacrifi ces m·1st positions of great importance 1n the puh might be expressly s tated in the armis be demanded fo r quite a long time, but lie life of Australia. The fi rst was the tice terms, and that his duties at the it would be folly to imagine that income Minister fo r W ar Organisation of In time of the armistice might p lace him tax will tumble down or that· rationing dustry ( Mr. J. J. D cdman), \~h o wa~ the in some position from which it would restrictions a nd price control wi ll be lift- guest of honour on the prev1ous Fn day. not be possible to escape, General Ben ed completely and at once. Harder w ork During the c ourse oi an interesting nett spent his last hours on the island and greater patriotism than ever will speech, Colonel Moses descrifed in calmly a rranging for the comfort of the be demanded of each and everyone of us, consilterable detail his escape fr om men of the A. l.F., so that the fitst days if the Armistice that ends this war is to S ingapore, in company with Lieutenant of their captivity, a t least, should be be the herald o f a t otal p eace, and not General H.