AUSTRALIA SECURE.

Waikato Times, Volume 111, Issue 18641, 20 May 1932, Page 10

AUSTRALIA SECURE.

CHECK TO COMMUNIBTS. FEAR OF NEW GUARD. WAY CLEAR FOR RECOVERY. Fear of the New Guard in New South Wales and the determined attitude shown by the police that they were not going to he "fooled,” has done much to prevent acts of lawlessness and wanton destruction of property in Australia such as happened in New Zealand recently, said Mr G. F. Birks, past governor of Australian Rotary, and ' nominee-director of Rotary Internationa'],' who was a through pasenger by the Maunganui to -San Francisco 'to attend the World Rotary Convention at Seattle. Mr Birks is accompanied by Mr and Mrs S. J. McGibbon, Mr McGibbon being nominee-governor of the 65th district in Australia, which comprises the western part of Australia south of the Murrimbldgee Riveo — Victoria, Tasmania, South and Western Australia. The 76th district, which Mr Birks is representing, together with New Zealand, includes that portion of Australia north of the Murrumbidgee—the bulk of New South Wales and Queensland. Before the convention at Seattle is held, the board of directors will meet at Victoria, British Columbia. “Rotary in Australia has made distinct and steady progress; we have now 35 or 36 clubs in the country, and they are all in a very healthy condition,” Mr Birks said.

No Sympathisers. Referring 'to conditions generally in Australia, Mr Birks said that the Communist element realised that it had no sympathisers in the police force. This was shown recently when the Communists took a hand against some eviction of ‘tenants in Sydney; the police showed plainly that they were not going to be fooled. And then there was the New Guard; there was always the fear of this organisation that held 'the Communists in check. The New Guard, like the IQ Klux Klan, came into existence because of exceptional and abnormal circumstances, and would lose its usefulness when things became normal again. He did not think that it would he wise for such an organisation to continue in normal times, hut, in his opinion, such a body was absolutely necessary in New South Wales at present to support the police. “I believe that the last Government of Lang lias been detrimental not only lo New South Wales, but to the whole of Australia, and furthermore that it lias very materially impeded the economic recovery of the whole Commonwealth,” Mr Birks declared. “Australia lias passed through had times before —perhaps not quite so bad as the present, hut nearly—and has come through all right. She would have come through Hie present depression earlier if it had not been for the Lang party’s reckless extravagance, and the loss of her credit overesas. Will Win Through. “I believe that we will win through, and, further, I believe liiat after it all we will be better people. Poverty is a very unpleasant tiling for everybody, but the fact remains- that we have been 100 extravagant in Australia. I was horn in Australia, and in my time I have seen depression and droughts, and everything has looked as black as thunder, and just as she pulled out of her troubles then, she will do so in Hie future. The people may appear casual, but they have a virility which comes out when they come against difficulties. This was shown in the war.”