FORMER AUSTRALIAN LEADER’S CLAIM— Communists "Told To Undermine The Army”

Greymouth Evening Star, 27 April 1949, Page 5

FORMER AUSTRALIAN LEADER’S CLAIM — Communists "Told To Undermine The Army”

(Recd. 9 a.m.) MELBOURNE, This Day. Mr Cecil Sharpley, a former member of the Communist Party executive, said that Australian Commun.ists had received instructions from Moscow to undermine the Australian Army. Speaking in a nation-wide broadcast, Mr Sharpley said that the Communists had been told to form cells in every military unit. They were to preach the refusal of transport or supplies to the enemies of the Soviet Republic and legally or otherwise, they must carry on propaganda against troops being sent against the Soviet.

Mr Sharpley has just written a series of sensational articles on Communist malpractice in Australia. In his broadcast, he was interviewed and asked questions by the chief of staff of the Melbourne Herald. In his replies, he said that Communist influence had reached the schools, but more particularly the

universities. Communist teachers .met regularly to discuss their revolutionary work. Mr Sharpley said that the Australian Communist Party had “complete and thorough plans” to go underground if declared illegal. Leading members of the Communist Party had long ago selected hideouts to use if the party became illegal. He added: “The party has organised places where it can keep its documents. Printing presses in good order and carefully concealed are ready for operation at short notice. The plan provides for the'Commun-ist-controlled unions to handle the raising of ■ funds and the distribution of propaganda. There would be no question of its existence ending once it was banned. For these reasons, I dp not think it would be wise to force l it underground.” Mr Sharpley said that if the Vic- ! torian Government set up a Royal Commission to inquire into the Conmunist Party :he would give evidence ! if required to. - ,