SPECIAL SESSION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24326, 17 June 1940, Page 8

SPECIAL SESSION

FEDERAL PARLIAMENT EMERGENCY POWERS BILL COMMUNISTS DISBANDED (United Press Association) (By Electric Telegraph—Copyright) CANBERRA, June 16. (Received June 16, at 9 p.m.) The Prime Minister (Mr R. G. Menzies) announced that an emergency meeting of the Federal Parliament will be held on Thursday to deal with a Bill to give the Government wide emergency powers tc use every available resource of man-power and industry, if necessary, for nom- defence. Except that there will be no cohscription for overseas service, the measure will give the Government powers similar Ao those taken in Britain. Parliament will meet for only two days. ' According to another Sydney message, the Communist Party in Australia and a number of Fascist organisations in the Commonwealth were declared Illegal and ordered to be disbanded by special regulations issued from Canberra. Munitions Output The Director-general of Information (Mr Murdoch) announced that Australia is to begin the immediate production of £50,000,000 worth of munitions. One hundred and fifty thousand men and women will be engaged in the scheme. Orders have now been placed in the Commonwealth aircraft factory for, the construction of a total of 811 Wirraway machines, costing £8,000,000. The Prime Minister (Mr R. G. Menzies) said the new orders were placed because it was unlikely that the aircraft promised from overseas would be available. These machines will take the place of the Fairey battleplanes which have been supplied from Britain for bombing and gunnery training. The Decisive Hour The Premier, of New South Wales (Mr A. -Mair), in a special statement, said Australia should immediately form a National Government, adopt a complete scheme for defence at home and abroad, and marshal men, money, and material compulsorily. “The decisive hour has struck,’’ he said. “ These things are necessary immediately—next week, not next month.” Gifts and interest-free loans now exceed £3,000,000. The loans total £2,818,000 and the gifts £IBB,OOO, A total of £3,394,319 in war savings certificates has been sold in Australia. The objective is £10,000,000. Raids on Communists Two van-loads of Communist documents and literature were seized by the police who yesterday raided the offices of the Communist Party and the League for Peace and Democracy and the homes of 60 known Communists. No arrests were made. This action was taken after the Cabinet decided totally to ban the operations of these organisations.