Turning A Deaf

Ear

Canberra's Attitude to Rabaul Demand

From Our Own Correspondent

Canberra, May 2.

rRMER residents of Papua, New Guinea and the Islands, as well as others who lost sons and husbands when Rabaul fell, can give up hope of any official inquiry being ordered into the fall of Rabaul in January, 1942.

Canberra has set its mind against any inouiry, and politicians have turned a deaf ear to the pleas of individuals and organisations who want to be told the true and full story of the Rabaul disaster. Here are some of the ques tions the people want answered, and Canberra is determined not to answer:— • If Rabaul was to be defended against the Japanese, why wasn’t it adequately defended? • If the Army was determined to sac rifice the hopelessly small garrison at Rabaul, why at least weren’t male civi lians stranded in New Britain given an opportunity to escape on ships available in the harbour prior to the invasion? • Is the Army completely satisfied that demolitions were fully carried out at Rabaul prior to the invasion; and if not, where did responsibility lie for failure? • Who was responsible for the whole colossal blunder?

At first, individuals asked the Govern ment to inquire into the debacle. Then followed further requests from organisa tions, supported by “Pacific Islands Monthly,” and, later, by the Sydney “Daily Telegraph” and other Australian daily papers.

Finally, just before Parliament ad journed in April, Mr. A. Cameron asked the Federal Government to inquire not only into the fall of Rabaul, but into the fall of other bases including Koepang. (See page 22.) To all these appeals the Minister for External Territories (Mr. Ward) turned a deaf ear.

When the appeals were repeated by the press to the Prime Minister (Mr. Chif ley) and the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for the Army (Mr. Forde), the only replies the press got were:— Mr. Chifley: “I have heard nothing of these appeals.”

Mr. Forde; “I have nothing to say about that.”