U.S. Withdrawal From Japan

Press, Volume XCVI, Issue 28347, 5 August 1957, Page 11

U.S. Withdrawal From Japan

WASHINGTON, August 2. Mr Charles Wilson, the. United States Secretary of Defence, said yesterday that the United Stales planned to withdraw 25,000 ground combat troops from Japan by the end of this year and the rest—•bout 15,000—by August next year.

The Queensland Labour Party leader, Mr Gair, who was Premier before the, Labour Party split in April, and the deputy, leader, Mr E. J. Walsh, were both returned after a lively campaign.

Surprises for the Australian Labour Party were the defeat of their leader, Mr J. E. Duggan, and the probable defeat of A.LP. deputy leader, Dr. Felix Dittmer. Mr Duggan was deputy Premier and Transport Minister in the Gair Government before the party split. Two Cabinet Ministers in the Gair Government, Mr W. M. Moore, Minister for Health, and Mr T. Moores, Minister for Transport, have been defeated, and a third, the Minister for Agriculture, Mr H. Collins, is lacing defeat. Five Seats Uncontested

Only 70 of the seats were contested yesterday. Four Liberal-Country Party seats were unopposed, and there was no election in the other seat because of the recent death of the then sitting member, Mr G. H. Devries, who was Minister for Mines in the Gair Government. A by-elec-tion for this seat will be held later

Mr Nicklin said last night that the new Government would seek co-operation from all sections of the community.

“Let us sink our differences and' get together in every possible way to build Queensland to the position which it deserves—the greatest State in Australia.” Mr Gair said: “In the circumstances, I think the Queensland Labour Party has done magnificently. “We have a solid cere of members in the Parliament, we have a State-wide membership, and what is more, there is a real need for the party.” Concentrated Attack Mr Duggan said that his party would have to concede victory to the Liberal-Country party. “I offer m congratulations to them. I am hopeful that with the absentee votes I may still retain my seat. “If 1 am defeated I have the knowledge that the greatest concentration of attack ever made against a Labour leader, was made against me,” he said. Queensland’s political crisis developed after the expulsion of Mr Gair from the Australian Labour Party on April 24, for alleged fai.ure to follow a directio., of the party’s central executive.

After Mr Gair’s expulsion all n tubers of Cabinet (with the exception of the deputy Premier, Mr Duggan) formed the breakaway Queensland Labour Party.

On June 12 the Government was defeated on a supply motion, and Parliament was subsequently dissolved by State Administrator, Mr Justice Mansfield. Bitter Campaign The short, bitter campaign which followed created extraordinary interest throughout Australia, where it was regarded as another boil-over in the faction fig b between the right and left wings of the Australian Labour Party. t action fights split the party into bitterly hostile groups and brought about the downfall > of the State government of Victoria. During the Queensland campaign, rival Labour candidates spent at least as much time attacking each other as in criticising Liberal or Country Party opponents. Queensland’s first-past-the-post voting system and the many three-cornered contests were forecast by many observers befpre the elections as likely to produce a landslide to the LiberalCountry Party. Pol ing Clashes The poll aroused unusually keen interest throughout the State and hunderds of voters queued at polling booths yesterday morning before the doors were opened. Extr« police were called out to deal with bitter clashes -between Labour factions during the day.

Tempers flared at a number of polling booths in Brisbane in clashes between canvassers for the two Labour parties. Brisbane’s City Hall, the State’s principal pooling booth, looked like a carnival area with canvassers shouting out advice and abuse. No arrests were made, but police warned several canvassers outride the City Hall not to obstruct pedestrian traffic. Pc lice also spoke to men at Fortitude Valley and Kurilpa polling booths where punches were thrown. At Fortitude Valley, a militant Labour stronghold, one woman threatened to “flatten’’ another after an argument over tearing up how-to-vote cards. The police separated them.