POLITICAL PARTIES CRITICISED

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLVIII, Issue 21820, 25 November 1940, Page 7

POLITICAL PARTIES CRITICISED

“Dictator Would Be Better” By Telegranh—Press Association—Copyright CANBERRA, November 23. At the Federal Congress of the Returned Sailors and Soldiers’ League, severe criticism of the Federal political parties was indulged in. The president (Mr L. A. Robb) said: “If we cannot get a national Government in which the parties will work together for the national good, we would be better to have a dictator Prime Minister, who would have the returned soldiers behind him.” A South Australian delegate, Mr W. D. Sharland, declared that he was disgusted and amazed at the way in which the Commonwealth Parliament was acting. “If this is the best that Democracy can manage, the sooner we have a dictator the better,” he added. Mr Robb said: “Every individual member of Parliament should be compelled to take the oath of allegiance separately. There is one man in the House to whom this remark applies, and I call upon him to take notice. How do we expect the job of winning the war to be carried on by such fellows? When the soldiers overseas return they will be so fed up with the political situation that they will take over the Government, and when they do we soldiers of the last war will say ‘God bless you. We will stand by your side’.” According to a later message Mr Robb said he had been wrongly reported. “Many of the statements attributed to me were not uttered by me at all, and the whole matter generally was the subject of definite misrepresentation.” The statements attributed to Mr Robb caused considerable surprise in State ministerial circles because as Secretary to the Governor, Mr Robb is a State public servant. Speaking in the House of Representatives at Canberra, a Labour member, Mr Ward, described as fifth columnists three speakers at the annual conference of the Returned Soldiers’ League. He urged the Government to take action under the National Security Regulations against Mr Robb, also against Mr Sharland and Mr H. S. Marshall, of victoria.