BRISBANE'S SERVICE

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 149, 27 June 1925, Page 7

BRISBANE'S SERVICE

STRONG LABOUR OBJECTION

PRIME MINISTER'S HEPLY.

MELBOURNE, 26th June.

In the federal House o{ Represents! tives, Mr. P. Brennnu (Lab.) protested against tho warship Brisbane being omployed as. part of tho British squadron against the Chinese in a ; wur which was primarily industrial. Tho serious aspect, ho,said, was that the Ministry had allowed ■ Llio Jjvisbmie to 'lie transferred to participate in the belligerent operations without informing Parliament. The Labour Parly had always refused to allow the army or navy to be used in industrial 'disputes in Australia, and it certainly would not allow" them to be used in" foreign waters in a tight against the Chinese proletariat, which represented itho 'great Chinese Republic well in its awakening. The Labour Parly had. tlie deepest- sympathy for tho people of China.

Mr. M. Charltou, Leader of the Labour j Party,-supporting Sir. Brennan, said the Australian Navy had been created for defending Australia, and not for interfering in the internal affairs of another nation: IE the British Government was responsible for tho Brisbane going to 'Chinese waters Australians should ask ,for lier immediate withdrawal. ' Mr. Stanley Bruce, the Prime Minister, replied■ that tho«Brisbano was seiit under an exchange arrangement'with the Brit-»ish'.'-Government-ito secure her training. It was conceivable that the squadron, UWd, gone' to-the'disturbed area to safeguard the lives of British subjects..