by Australian Ministers

The Stony Silence Of Canberra

Demands for Inquiry Into Rabaul Disaster Ignored by Australian Ministers

VARIOUS people, including the Execu tive Committee of the Pacific Ter ritories’ Association and the editor of the “PIM,” have kept public opinion directed, in recent weeks, upon the de mand for an inquiry into the circum stances surrounding the capture of Rabaul by the Japs, and the useless and needless sacrifice of between 200 and 300 civilians, who subsequently lost their lives.

It is a matter of common knowledge that blame for the failure to evacuate those civilians, when it was known the Jap invasion fleet was coming, is being placed with a very highly-placed official personage in Australia. But, although all sorts of comparatively unimportant things have been officially inquired into by the Australian Government in the past two years, Canberra is resolutely deaf to the demand for an inquiry con cerning Rabaul.

The suspicion is growing into a con viction that Canberra is determined to dodge the inquiry, if possible, and thus save the high official personage referred to from embarrassment and perhaps worse.

Pending a formal inquiry, .it would appear that over 200 of New Guinea’s leading citizens were murdered in Rabaul by official blundering and inepti tude; but, in the viewpoint of the quaint people who now masquerade as Minis ters in Canberra, it is a matter of greater importance that the gentleman they recently selected for a high and

responsible post should not be asked to explain certain things that he is alleged to have done in January, 1942, which resulted in the civilians being held in Rabaul, in the face of the oncoming Japs.

There will be a session of the Aus tralian Parliament presentlv and then, on the floor of the House, these Minis ters will be forced to make some state ment about the demand for an inquiry.

As a matter of fact, interesting things should happen in this session. The in effable Mr. Ward, for instance, can hardly hope to escape sharp criticism there for the extraordinary set-up he has created in New Guinea.

A VALUABLE contribution to the dis cussion about the Rabaul disaster was the following letter (published in the “Sydney Morning Herald”) from Mr. Gordon Thomas, who was a prisoner in the hands of the Japs from January, 1942. until August, 1945, and who was one of tne \ery few civilians to escape death. Mr Thomas, referring to a pub lished statement by the editor of the “PIM” (that all non-combatant civilians could have been sent away from Rabaul in the then available ships) said:— “It is certainly news to me (a recently returned civilian internee from Rabaul) that the ‘Horstein’ could not have taken all the Rabaul civilians away days before the Jap landing (as mentioned in Mr.

Robson’s letter) had official permission been given for such use. This permis sion was refused—by whom I do not know.

“But I do know that I was informed by Mr. Page (the Deputy Administrator) that he had made two urgent requests to the authorities for permission to use the vessel for evacuating the civilians. The first request, so he informed me, was made as soon as he was aware of the ship’s tonnage and speed; both of which were quite suitable for such circum stances as existed at the time. The second request was made some days later, when word was received that an invasion was imminent.

“Several smaller Islands steamers and schooners left Rabaul a day or so before the invasion and most of them. I under stand, were fortunate in reaching safety.