AUSTRALIA & THE WAR

Grey River Argus, 16 January 1941, Page 6

AUSTRALIA & THE WAR

Mr Menzies’ Trip MELBOURNE, January lb. The Advisory War Council recently discussed subjects which Mr Menzies could raise with th ( . British Government. when he visits Britain shortly. PRIME MINISTER’S VISIT TO ENGLAND OTHERS TO FOLLOW. (Received January’ 15, 11.30 p.m.) LONDON January 15. The “Daily Telegraph” says: The Australian Premier, Mr. R. G. Menzies, visit io England is likely’ to be followed later in the year by visits of other leading Dominion Ministers. It is, however, understood that there is no intention at present of holding an Imperial Conference, or of forming an Imperial War Cabinet. NATIONAL SECURITY REGULATIONS SOLDIERS’ RELATIVES DISTRESSED BY ANTI-MILITARISTS MELBOURNE, January 15. Army Intelligence officers said today that cases have come under their notice wherein parents and relations of soldiers reported killed of wounded overseas have been telephoneci by persons reminding them that such casualties wou d not have occurred if the victims had been non-miiitarists.

Describing tiiis as subversive propaganda of the most despicable type, the oliicers said that the National Security Regulations provided drastic penalties for any person guilty of such action. Every effort: would be made to trace the offenders, who in addition to the subversive nature of their activities were causing unnecessary distress to relations. Australian Casualties 296 AT BARDIA MELBOURNE, January 14. Army Headquarters have announced that the total Australian casualties in the assault on Bardia were 296, made up of 31 officers and 265 other ranks. , The number of Australians who were killed or who died from wounds was 17. W. M. Hughes LEADER’S REBUKE . SYDNEY, January 11. William Morris Hughes, Austra-

lia’s Prime Minister of the Great War and Minister for the Navy in th e present Cabinet, is, al 76, the "bad boy” of Australian politics.

He is repeatedly embarrassing the Cabinet and fellow-Ministers by outspoken criticism, and three recent* utterances earned him glares and frowns when he ati ended a War Cabinet meeting thi s week. He did not ease the tension by appearing two hours late. But Mr Hughes was unruffled. Indeed, he seemed to enjoy the hostility h e had created, for he walked into the Cabinet room, adjusted his hearing aids, and threw out a challenging “Well?” What was said behind the closed doors can only be surmised, but three hours later Mi’ Hughes walked out smiling broadly. He always enjoys a fight, and was unpertubed by the. official, rebuke of the Prime Minister, Mr Menzies. Mr Hughes’s first, “indiscretion” was to release the news of the rescue of the raider survivors ahead of the Minister of Air, Mr McEwen, who was preparing the release. Confusion followed among the Services Departments. Mr Hughes next revived the ship-building question which Cabinet members are not yet ready’ to discuss. MELBOURNE ATTRACTIONS His third impish attack was a personal attack on Service Ministers who prefer to administer their departments from Melbourne instead of the capital, Canberra, and Service chiefs who, according to Mr Hughes, “haye their homes, friends, golf and bridge partners in _ Melbourne —-attractions which provide a forceful cas e why they’ cannot be moved from there.”

Rebuking Mr Hughes, Mr Menzies said: “1 have known War Cabinets called in Canberra in which one of the chiefs of staff for th ( . sake of hall) an hour in the Cabinet room has had to absent himself for two days from his office in Melbourne. I am afraid that some jocular remarks by my colleague have been taken seriously. Mr Hughes would be the last to fail' to recognise tjiat the heads of the Services hav c all for many months past worked for long hours and under immense pressure with very little time for either recreation or comfort. The same is true of Ministers. Perhaps I should point out that th e Service Departments are in Melbourne with their staffs and records, and in thos e circumstances it would be impracticable for the bulk of the meetings of the War Cabinet to be held anywhere else than in Melbourne.”