NORTH-WEST AUSTRALIA

Press, Volume LXXXI, Issue 24632, 31 July 1945, Page 3

NORTH-WEST AUSTRALIA

SYNTHETIC FIBRE INDUSTRY

—«— OUTBACK SETTLERS’ CONVENTION (N.2 Press Association—Copyright) PERTH, July 30. A strange convention of outback settlers is being held at the almost abandoned mining centre of Whim Creek, which is 1087 miles north of Perth, and inland from Cossack, The convention is discussing the disabilities of North-west Australia—taxation, lack of shipping, and shortage of adequate fresh foods. It is expected to ask for a new State in Australia to be formed out of the north-west of Western Australia, the Northern Territory, and part of Queensland. Seventy-eight* delegates from scattered outback stations arrived by all means of transport, from mule teams to aeroplanes. All were warned that Whim Creek would be short of food and to take their own provisions. Some of the delegates are sleeping under the open sky. A hint that stinging criticism of Federal and State politics was likely was implied in the warning, “No politicians wanted.” U.S. COMMUNIST PARTY EARL BROWDER DROPPED FROM COMMITTEE (Rec. 8 p.m.) NEW YORK, July 29. The American Communist Party has dropped Mr Earl Browder, its titular leader since 1929, from its national committee and appointed Mr William Foster as successor. The party’s convention unanimously carried a resolution condemning the course which Mr Browder laid down for the movement as “a revision of Marxism and a negation of the independent role of the Labour movement md the Communist Party.” GERMAN CASUALTY TOTALS LONDON, July 29. Authentic documents seized in Berlin show that German war losses for all services from the outbreak of the war to last November were 4,061,438. of whom nearly 2,000,000 were killed The remainder are missing, prisoners, or permanently disabled. There were 774,184 in hospital at the end of November. , The documents were found in the home of, the Wehrmacht propaganda chief (General Reineke). • The total killed, 1,911,300, included: army 1,707,839, air force 149,787, navy 51,774. The overall casualty figures were divided as follows; army 3,630,269, air force 290.839, navy 94,470. In addition, 9313 executions are listed in the German casualties. On the Russian front alone 1,419,000 men were killed and 907,000 are missing or captured—all but a small percentage of Hitler’s losses to the end of November. The major Western Front casualties occurred after November. TRIAL OF BELSEN CAMP GUARDS LONDON, July 29. The trials of 48*Belsen camp guards, including 15 women, on charges of brutality, are expected to begin in three weeks’ time, says the Associated Press. Members of the Belsen staff have been imprisoned in a cellar for the last month. There is no charge of brutality against 29 of them, mostly S.S. men, who were working in the Belsen offices. They had no direct contact with the inmates. REDEDICATION OF CATHEDRAL SERVICE IN RANGOON (8.0. W.) RUGBY, July 28, “Prayers and psalms rang out through the shattered stained glass windows of the little red-brick Gothic cathedral of Rangoon on Saturday, when nearly 1000 servicemen and women and Burmese civilians attended the Anglican rededication service,” says a correspondent in Rangoon. “The Japanese had used the cathedral as a brewery, a byre for cattle, t and as stables for mules. The invaders had sunk great vats in the stone floor, and had fermented their wine in the nave. The organ, pulpit, altar and pews had been torn out. and Air Force personnel and Royal Engineers had a difficult task to restore the cathedral as a fitting place once more for public worship. . “The Bishop of Rangoon preached the sermon. The service was described as ‘a service of reconciliation of a defiled church'—a form occasionally used in the Middle Ages. The Bishop, assisted by officers of the three services, walked the length of the cathedral sprinkling salt water.” AUXILIARY SQUADRONS OF R.A.F. RUGBY. July 29. With the end of the war against Germany, and the reduction of the frontline strength of the .Royal Air Force, it is intended to withdraw from active service all the auxiliary squadrons which for more than five years have operated with distinction in many parts of the world. They will revert to their auxiliary status, and will regain their former affiliations with the parent cities of the counties, says the Air Ministry News Service. After the war, they will form an even more vital element of Air Force organisation for the defence of the country, the news service adds.

ESTABLISHMENT IN AUSTRALIA SYDNEY, July 27. The synthetic fibre industry was being established in Australia, said the Minister of Customs (Senator R. V. Keane), speaking in the Senate. He added that a local synthetic fibre industry would offer more opposition to fibre imports than to the wool industry. “It would be contrary to Government policy to place obstacles in the way of the establishment of any new industry which would make use of local raw materials and open up valuable avenues of employment,” he said. “The Government will not lose sight of the interests of the wool industry. Whatever is done in Australia, the synthetic fibre industry has come to stay, and will undoubtedly undergo a tremendous expansion in the United States, Britain, and other industrialised countries.” British Iron and Steel Industries.—A five-year reconstruction plan, involving an expenditure of £120,000,000, which was recently announced by the British iron and steel industries, will be supplemented by an annual outlay of £400,000 on -research and technical development. A new experimental body—the British Iron and Steel Research Association—has been set up to ensure the maximum conservation and productive efficiency in the industry It is led by Dr. C. F. Goodeve, who as the Admiralty’s senior “back-room boy” was prominent in defeating the magnetic mine and the U-boat.—Rugby, July 29. Supplies For Jngoslavia.— The Belgrade radio says that Marshal Broz received the Director-General of the United Nations Beliefi and Rehabilitation Administration (Mr Herbert H. Lehmann), who gave an assurance that relief deliveries to Jugoslavia would be speeded up. UNRRA was taking steps to remedy the transoort shortage which is preventing the distribution of supplies in Jugoslavia.— London, July 27. (