PROPOSED TRIP TO LONDON

Press, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23411, 19 August 1941, Page 7

PROPOSED TRIP TO LONDON

ANOTHER VISIT BY MR MENZIES

OPPOSITION OF LABOUR

MEMBERS

(Received August 19.12.30 ajn.) (U.PA.) . SYDNEY, August 18. Australia stands on the edge of political turmoil with the proposed trip of the Prime Minister (Mr R. G. Menzies) to London as the storm centre, says the “Sun.” The newspaper adds that the situation is loaded with unpleasant possibilities for the Prime Minister, the leader of the, Opposition (Mr J. Curtin) and the Menzies Government. Fellow Ministers have told their leader that the rejection' by Parliament on Wednesday of the proposal that he should visit London will be regarded as a major defeat for the Government and a terrific blow to its prestige. Three Labour members of the War Advisory Council, Mr F. M. Forde, Mr J. A. Beasley and Dr. H. V. Evatt, continue firm in their stand that Mr Menzies should not receive Labour’s approval to leaving Australia. Mr Curtin’s leadership will most assuredly be at stake if he persists in supporting Mr Menzies’ departure. He will also afford encouragement to those members of his party who consider he is not sufficiently virile and who may try to displace him in the event of Labour being called upon to form a Government. Sir Earle Page, the Minister for Commerce, yesterday declared that if Parliament rejected the proposal it would cause a political crisis and an election. He condemned wrangling by the Labour members. Dr. Evatt to-day said Sir Earle Page's statement was so party-political in spirit and object that he might have some difficulty in explaining his part in “the political manoeuvre” nor would it be Sir Earle Page’s task to determine whether or not there should be an election. There was no reason whatever why an alternative Government should not be created. Dr. Evatt accused the Government of having exaggerated the dangers of war in the Far East.

Mr Menzies, who is in Melbourne, replied to Dr. Evatt. • He denied the allegations of political manoeuvring and said the proposal that he should go to London was initiated by his Ministerial colleagues for reasons with which Mr Curtin was fully acquainted, as he was with the gravity of the position in the Far East.

PARCELS FOR N.Z.

PRISONERS

MR FRASER CONFERS IN LONDON

FOOD AND CLOTHING TO BE SENT

LONDON, August 17, The Prime Minister of New Zealand (the Rt. Hon, P. Fraser) - has been engaged in conferences with the Red Cross and other authorities concerned with the dispatch of parcels to New, Zealand prisoners of war in Germany' artd elsewhere. ■■ Letters, are' already arriving from many New Zealanders who have been transferred from Greece to German camps. Arrangements have,been made to dispatch food and clothing, the - need of which they mention, from London, pending the receipt of parcels from their people in New Zealand. Care is being:taken to ensure, jpriority for parcels from. New Zealand, but in the meantime the parcels are packed in Lohdon and the contents paid for from New Zealand patriotic funds administered in London,

Mr Fraser is inquiring into the possibility of a New Zealand representative being located at Geneva, through which centre parcels pass through the International Red Cross. Such a representative would attend to the speedy transport of New Zealand parcels.

PILOT AWARDED D.F.C.

CREW RESCUED FROM WRECKED MACHINE |

HOSTILE ARABS FIRE

ON PARTY

(8.0. W.) RUGBY, August 17. The deed for which Flying Officer P. E. G. Rashleigh has been awarded the D.F.C. reads like a romance of a boy’s adventure. The official account states: “On an evening in July, following a report that an aircraft had crashed on the French Moroccan coast, Flying Officer Rashleigh took off to locate the aircraft and render assistance. Sighting the wrecked aircraft, he flew low over the spot three or four times and observed four groups comprising some 200 Arabs.

“While he was making another circuit three members of the crew of the wrecked aircraft detached themselves from the largest group and commenced wiving. Flying Officer Rashleigh indicated that he would land near where they were standing. Coming to the ground on the shallow side of a rise out of view of most of the Arabs, he finished his run to within 30 yards of ‘the crew, who immediately dashed for the aircraft. . “The - Arabs then opened fire and Plying Officer Rashleigh with the crew scrambling aboard, immediately turned the tail of his aircraft towards the hostile party and opened the throttle, causing a cloud of dust which obscured them from He then took off safely and returned to his base with the rescued crew." •

GERMAN BOMBERS DRIVEN OFF

UNSUCCESSFUL ATTACK ON CONVOY

(8.0. W.) RUGBY, August 17. One German bomber was destroyed and two others severely damaged, states an Admiralty communique, when a number of enemy aircraft yesterday evening made a determined but unsuccessful attack on a British convoy. The enemy was met by gunfire from the ships of the convoy and from the escort. No casualties were sustained by the British ships.

WEEK’S LOSSES IN THE AIR

LONDON. August 17. During the week ended at dawn on August 17 Britain lost 53 bombers and 18 fighters. The Luftwaffe lost 39 fighters. Over Britain, where the Nazis carried out only token raids, they lost one bomber. In the Mediterranean Britain lost five machines and the Axis six.