OVERSEAS SERVICE

Grey River Argus, 23 November 1942, Page 2

OVERSEAS SERVICE

AUSTRALIAN MILITIA Curtin’s Plan Finds Favour LSpecial! to N.Z. Press Assn.] (Rec. 8.5.) SYDNEY, Nov. 22. A public opinion poll has indicated that three of every four Australians support an extension of Militia service beyond the boundaries of the Commonwealth, and of mandated territories.

Political observers, however, say that a flare-up over Mr Curtin’s proposal to extend the Militiamen’s territorial liability for service is likely when the Federal Parliament meets on December 10. A statement was made by the Opposition Leader, Mr Fadden, who said: "Let Parliament decide the Militia proposal.” This has been interpreted to mean that the Opposition Parties may try to forestall the decision of the State Labour Executives on Mr Curtin s plan. The decision of the Labour Executives will be given at th© re-assembl-ing of the Australian Labour Party Convention on January 4. It is pointed out that the parties of the Opposition could forestall the conference decision bv pressing a motion when the House meets tor its two-day session next month. The Government, it is known, is anxious to prevent Mr Curtin’s scheme from becoming a political issue before the State Labour Parties’ Political Executives deal with ir. Press political correspondents declare that the Labour Partv faces its greatest crisis. One writer in the Sydney * Sun says: “Australian history for the next fifty years may be shaped by the manner in which Labour naeets its problem.” The Sydney “Sun writer also says: “If Labour rejects Mr Curtin’s plan, then Mr Curtin is likely to resign. Mr Curtin is held to have given a jiint of this when recently at Melbourne he told the Federal Labour Conference: “If you reject this plan, remember whoever succeeds me will face the same/ position 1” At the present time, three of the State Labour Party Executives are widely being selected to support Mr Curtin, and only one Executive to oppose him, while the remaining two are said to fie in the balance. The correspondent of the New Zealand Press Association believes that the weight of public support behind Mr Curtin will impel a Labour Party majority to support his scheme. World commentators warmly support the proposal and they give high praise to Mr Curtin for his courage and integrity in raising -the issue.. "Australia’s credit has risen sharply in Washington with the news that Mr Curtin has initiated and’ launched a move for the release of Australia s Militia for overseas service,” writes the correspondent of the Boston “Christian Science Monitor,” Mr Joseph Harsch, who recently was m Australia. Success in the current operations in New Guinea, which is raising prospects of advances beyond New Guinea, has made Mr Curtin s move particularly timely. Washington had been reluctant to raise this question of releasing the Australian Militia for overseas service out of deference to an allv who has made magnificent contributions in the joint war effort. But the fact remains that limitation o r , the service of the Australia Militia has perplexed Washington, and raised, in some minds, doubts as to the extent to which Australian troops would go when the defensive phase in the war in the South Pacific is' oyer, and an advance towards Tokio begins. Mr Curtin’s' initiative is accepted, in. both diplomatic and military quarters, as being jusi? the right move to assure those responsibly for planning the future steps in the war that Australia is in the struggle for much more than merely to assure her own safety.”