AUSTRALIAN ELECTIONS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25304, 14 August 1943, Page 5

AUSTRALIAN ELECTIONS

LABOUR PARTY’S POLICY SEVERE TASMANIAN CRITIC (Rec. 7 p.m.) SYDNEY, Aug. 13. The final days of the campaigning for the Australian Federal elections are, seeing severe criticism levelled against the Labour Party’s pre-war attitude towards' defence matters, as well as against its governmental failure to weld the army and the militia into a single army for service anywhere in the world. Many of the criticisms- of the Curtin Government on questions affecting the fighting services have come from service personnel standing as candidates. One startling attack, addressed to the Prime Minister and widely broadcast, has been made by a Tasmanian Opposition candidate, Trooper D. A. Warner, who is 25 years of age and a member of the A.I.F. This red-headed young man is the author of a book on the El Alamein campaign, “ Written in Sand,” which is about to be published. Trooper Warner is an extraordinarily fluent speaker. In his talk he spoke mainly about Mr Curtin’s policy speech statement that one army corps would be provided for future offensive operations in the South-west Pacific. One army crops meant the A.I.F. Sixth, Seventh and Ninth Divisions, Trooper Warner said. The Prime Minister therefore meant that 60,000 Australians who nad already fought in Greece. Crete, Libya, Syria, and New Guinea would have to do all the offensive fighting for the Labour Government. “You have no thought for equality of sacrifice, John Curtin,” declared Trooper Warner. “ You have three divisions of original volunteers, and you are • going to work them until there are none left. You have no interest in the global war, John Curtin.” . As well as to the Prime Mihister, Trooper Warner addressed his talk to the relatives of all the A.I.F. men, who volun-, teered in the early days of the war. He states that he has since received several threats of assault.