[11 September, 1951.J 5999 To Mr. Henning and Mr. Murray I ex- ?fi5gwluiur QauunriI tend, in common with previous speakers, a hearty welcome to this Chamber. The Tuesday, 11th September, 1651. demonstration that they have given of their ability to deal with subjects within CONTENTS. the sphere of their interests proved that page they will be suitable members to occupy Leave of absence .. .. .. 599 positions in this Chamber. I am sure Address-In-reply, fourteenth day, conclusion 599 that as time goes on they will bring to As to presentation of Address 599 this House the benefit of the knowledge Speakers on Address- they have of subjects that concern their Ron. E. M. Davies.......... ... 599 own particular province and the State Hon Sir Charles Latham W0 generally. The Minister for Transport (Hon. C. H. Simpson). 609 I now want to have a few words to say Bills :Public Buildings Act (Validation o about the recent peace proposals. In do- Payments), Ir. 622 ing so it will be necessary for me to Pubic Buildings Act Repeal, Ir. 622 travel in retrospect, as it were, and I ask Noxious Weeds Act Amendment, Ir. 622 your tolerance, Sir, and the indulgence Feeding Stuffs Act Amendment Ii'. 622 of the House. Firstly, I want to go back Agriculture Protection Board Act to World War I, and I think that, not- Amendment, It. 622 withstanding the fact that many years Poultry Industry (Trust Fund) Act have passed, what happened at the cessa- Amendment, fr. ... 622 tion of hostilities on that occasion was Potato Crowing Industry Trust Fund no doubt indelibly imprinted on the Act Amendment, It. ........... 622 minds of the people who went through Road Closure (Wanneroc), Ir. 622 that particular war. We all know that World War I. lasted for 4-. years and during the course of that conflict we The PRESIDENT took the Chair at 4.30 heard from the then Kaiser the screams p.m., and read prayers. of "Gott mit uns" and "Gott straf Eng- LEAVE OF ABSENCE. land." We heard also from the leaders of the Allied Nations that they would On motion by Hion. E. M. Heenan (for never again trade with Germany. Hion. 0. Bennetts) leave of absence for six consecutive sittings granted to Hon. It comes vividly to my mind that when R. J. Boylen (South-East) on the ground the armistice was signed in November, of private business. 1918, and an army of occupation was sent to Germany, it was thought by those who ADDRESS-IN-REPLY. carried the responsibility at the time that it was only necessary to have that army Fourteenth Day-Conclusion. of occupation as far as the river Rhine. Debate resumed from the 6th Sep- To my mind that was wrong; it was in- tember. dicative of a soft peace because the people of Germany had no war on their sol; it HON. E. 1W. DAVIES (West) [4.343: was all fought in France and Belgium. May I take this opportunity of joining Apart from the fact that their own kith with previous speakers in offering my and kin had sacrificed their lives, the congratulations to you, Mr. President, on people of Germany did not know very the recent honour that has been con- much about actual warfare. Then we ferred upon you. I trust that you, and found that this nation of arrogant people, your good lady, will long be spared to imbued with the idea of racial superiority enjoy that well-deserved honour. I wish and a desire to dominate the world, was also to congratulate Mr. Sparks and Mr. permitted, to a large extent, once again Roberts on the promotions that they have to build up its strength. received. From our general knowledge of Notwithstanding the fact that what re- the two gentlemen concerned, I am sure mained of their fleet was destroyed in they will carry out their duties in the Scapa. Flow in Scotland, the trade that she exemplary manner that characterised was able to carry on with other nations their predecessors. enabled Germany in the short space of 20 Time marches on and at each opening years, to bring upon the world another war of Parliament we notice that many that lasted for six years. To my mind, the familiar faces are missing. On this par- responsible people of that particular time ticular occasion we see that our beloved did not teach Germany the lesson that was Sir James Mitchell, Hon. Hobart Tuckey, necessary. Germany could not have been Hon. W. J. Mann and Mr. Leake, the taught her lesson properly or else she Clerk of Parliaments, have passed over would not have been able to throw the the Great Divide. Although bereavement world into a catastrophe that lasted for is a severe blow to the relatives con- six years. cerned. we trust that it will be tempered We hear a lot about the iron curtain, somewhat by the knowledge that their but we also have to remember that in the loved ones played their parts, lived their Black Forest in Germany there was some- lives and have gained their rewards. thing going on that no foreigner was per- [COUNCIL.] initted to see or know of. Whilst the that having once stabbed the United United Kingdom and Australia were Nations in the back, she is not going to be battling to pay their war debts to America, given another opportunity to do so. Germany paid very little or no reparations It appears to me that Japan will have to the victorious allies. Thus it came to an opportunity to rearm herself and an pass that there was not very much differ- opportunity to trade again with other ence between the victors and the van- nations, thus enabling her to build herself quished. UP in a few Years' time into one of the im- The House will remember that under the portant nations of the wvorld, What evid- Treaty of Versailles, the League of Nations ence have we to show that Japan is not organisation was formed. We pinned a going to do what she did previously. As great deal of faith to that organisation and far as I am concerned, I believe she will not thought that through it negotiations would hesitate to do the very same thing. It is take place to settle the differences of my opinion that she will ally herself with opinion between nations. Unfortunately, any country from which she can derive the however, the death knell of the league greatest benefits. was sounded when Mussolini was permit- I feel that we have done the people of ted to take command of the Mediterran- Australia an injustice;, to some extent we ean, to utilize the Suez Canal and the Red have added insult to injury. I read in the Sea and to attack Haille Selassie. To ray papers that it is again proposed to establish mind, that was the beginning of World trade with Japan and whilst I recognise it War Ir, for it did show to Hitler and Mus- is necessary to make Japan assist in build- solini the growing weakness of the allied ing up our country and I would have no powers. great objection to the Japanese being made I would like to draw some comparison to work and supply this country with between conditions that were brought about steel and other materials of which there as a result of that peace in June, 1919, and is a shortage-I certainly do not agree the peace treaty that has recently been that Western Australia and Australia signed in San Francisco, We all know that should be told to import Japanese crockery the majority of the nations have subscribed and toys. to these peace proposals. Some, however, Hon. L. A. Logan: Who is she going to have not, and with these I do not wish to ally myself. I wonder, however, whether trade with? we are doing the right thing. As far as Hon. E. M. DAVIES: I am not con- Japan is concerned, we have to take into cerned with that. consideration the fact that while America, Hon. L. A. Logan: What about our wool? the United Kingdom and the British Com- Hon. E. M. DAVIES: Are not there monwealth were engaged in another war. other countries that can do with our wool? she virtually stabbed those nations in the If it is necessary to do so, we can send back: she did not follow the general usages wool to Japan, but I think we should of war and declare war on them, but merely bring back from that country in exchange went ahead and bombed Pearl Harbour. materials that are in short supply here, Apart from this. Japan has perpertrated not crockery and toys--these can be manu- some of the vilest atrocities on those who factured here. It is all right for Mr. were unfortunate enough to be prisoners of Logan to hold those views, but I certainly war, including many Courageous girls who am not going to agree with them. It followed the profession of Florence Night- might be necessary to have trade relations ingale. Japan also torpedoed a hospital with Japan; but she is the vanquished ship on the eastern coast of Australia, and and we are the victors, and she should now it is proposed to treat her in a very supply us with the materials necessary soft manner; it is proposed that she should for the building up of this country, not be permitted to rearm herself: that she with crockery and toys.