AUSTRALIAN LABOUR OPPOSES PROPOSAL FOR TROOPS IN MALAYA

Wanganui Chronicle, 27 April 1950, Page 5

AUSTRALIAN LABOUR OPPOSES PROPOSAL FOR TROOPS IN MALAYA

CANBERRA, April 26 (Reed. 8.25 p.m.)—The Federal Parliamentary I Labour Party today announced its op- > position to the use of Australian armed forces in the present civil disturbances in Malaya. The statement said: “The Labour Party directs public attention to lhe indiscreet utterances of the Australian resident Minister in the United Kingdom, Mr. Eric Harrison, who is also Minister of Defence. These utterances have not been repudiated or qualified by the Australian Government and may therefore be assumed to express the Government’s views.” In Singapore Mr. Harrison, dealing with the military situation in Malaya, is reported to have said “What is necessary is not so much an army in the modern sense, but. the creation of a frontier force on commando lines with the spirit of high adventure and prepared to restore the Empire. An offer on these lines would meet with a great response from adventurousminded Dominion troops in Australia or New Zealand and the fighting Ghurka regiments. It would be free of the red tape of Army peace-time regulations.” The Labour Party statement added: “The party notes with concern the impertinent action of Mr. Harrison in presuming to declare the willingness of New Zealanders to volunteer for the proposed force —action obviously taken in advance of any declaration of policy by the New Zealand Government. the Labour Party warns the Australian people of the unwisdom of the proposal with which the Australian Government, is toying. At this stage, when such Powers as Britain, the . United States, Holland, and France are withdrawing or have withdrawn from Asiatic territories or are conferring wide measures of selfgovernment upon them, it would be dangerously foolish for Australia to assume the task of policeing any Asiatic colonial possession.”