AUSTRALIAN CRUISER

Grey River Argus, 27 June 1925, Page 5

AUSTRALIAN CRUISER

HER USE LN CHINA Against the Workers STRONG LABOUR PROTEST. (Received June 26 at 7.10 p.m.) MELBOUKNL. June 26. In the Federal House, Air Brennan, Labourite, protested against the Aus. tialian warship ‘‘Brisbane’’ being employed as part of the British squadron against tlie Chinese in a war which is primarily an industrial one. The serious aspect of the matter was that the Ministry had allowed the ‘‘Brisbane’’ t$ be transferred to participate in belligerent operations without iniorming Parliament. The Labour Party had always refused to •allow that their Army or Navy should be used in industrial disputes in Australia, and it certainly would not allow them t o be used in foreign waters in a light against the Chinese proletariat, who, he said, represented the great Chinese Republic well in its awakening. The Labour Party had the deepest sympathy for the people of China. Mr Charlton, the Labour I.i'ader. supporting Mr Brennan, said that Australia’s Navy had been created for defending Australia, and not for inter fering in the internal affairs of an. other nation. If. he said, the British 1 Government were responsible for the ‘‘Brisbane” going to Chinese waters, then Australians should ask for her immediate w ithdrawa 1. .Mr Bruce (Premier) replied that the “Brisbane” had been sent to China under an exchange arrangement with the British G overnment, to se_ ; cure her training. It was conceivable, he said, that the squadron had gone to the disturbed area to safeguard the lives of the British subjects.