Pacific News-Review

Notes And Comment On

International Affairs

From Nov. 17 To Dec. 13

Nov. 17: Total elimination of Empire preference will be proposed in a US draft of an international trade charter now being prepared.

Nov. 18: No agreement has been reached in the talks between the Indo nesian Prime .Minister, Sultan Sjahrir. and Dutch representatives. Sjahrir says that the Indonesians refuse absolutely to accept the Dutch colonial system.

Nov. 20: Although the Broken Hill Pty.

Company’s works were open for normal operations to-day, the Newcastle (Aus tralia) steel strike committee decided yesterday to continue the strike which commenced when an employee who re fused to obey orders was dismissed. The Steelworkers’ Union was subsequently de registered for contempt of Court, and BHP refuses to recognise Union delegates until it applies for re-registration.

Nov. 20: General de Gaulle has chal lenged the Communists either to confirm or withdraw the mandate it unanimously gave him earlier to form a Government of National Unity.

Nov. 20: Twenty top-line Nazi war criminals were brought before the war criminal Court at Nuremberg to-day.

Eight United Nations Judges are presid ing. The prisoners appeared “unmoved and in good humour.” All pleaded “not guilty.”

Nov. 28: The Australian Seamen’s Union has threatened to strike in sym pathy with the steel workers. Twenty nine mines in NSW are idle. Miners de mand that the Commonwealth Govern ment intervene in the steel dispute.

Dec. 1: The Communist-Moderate fac tion fight in the Australian Labour Union Movement is nearing a climax.

The Seamen’s Union has decided to tie up all ships carrying NSW coal and the products of BHP, and the Miners’

Federation favours a general coal strike in NSW. The Railway Union has decided not to become involved in the strike, and the interstate ALP has announced that nc member of the party may speak at the same Labour function as official Communists. Power, rail and gas cuts are feared, with a possibility of a black out over Christmas.

Dec. 6: New South Wales is preparing for a blackout to-day, as a result of the miners’ strike. Due to rigid gas and electricity rationing, 250,000 people will soon be out of work in the State. Many of the miners have trekked to the sea side, near Newcastle, where they have set up camps with their families and are preparing to take a long Christmas holi day.

Dec. 6: The long-drawn-out financial talks between the United States and Great Britain have resulted in an agree ment, whereby USA will lend Britain about £1,100,000,000 sterling at 2 per cent, interest. Britain has had to make certain concessions to USA in relation to Im perial preference, but it is felt that this loan will give Britain valuable aid during the critical years of economic adjust ment. The tendency will be to create closer political relations between the English-speaking countries, as a result of their necessarily closer trade relations.

Dec. 9: It was decided at a conference in Singapore between British military authorities and Dutch and French poli tical leaders* that the British shall now proceed with the pacification of Java by force.

Dec. 11: New South Wales is entering its second week of blackout. To-day the Australian Prime Minister, Mr. Chifley, met union leaders who placed before him terms proposed by the ACTU for the settlement of strikes. These terms re

present a surrender to the Communistic faction that has plunged Australia into industrial chaos, but Mr. Chifley is not expected to countenance them. Gas and electricity cuts have been increased. All lights must be out by 9 p.m. and gas is to be used in homes for only two brief periods per day. Power to industry has been cut again and train and tram re strictions intensified. The whole indus trial life of NSW, Victoria and SA is slowing to a standstill.

Dec. 12; The strike conference which was held in Canberra yesterday ended in a deadlock. The Prime Minister refused to evade the Arbitration system, and there is now little likelihood of an early settlement of the strikes. The Christmas outlook is now grim, and it is expected that half a million people will be un employed in New South Wales to-day.