Inquiry Into Campaigns
p. 55 · Read in the full issue
Fought in Rabaul, Timor, Ambon Australian Organisations Demand Royal Commission
ACCORDING to a recent issue of “Smith’s Weekly,” several Australian ex-Servicemen’s organisations in Melbourne will soon launch a campaign for a Royal Commission into causes and effects of Australia’s campaigns in Rabaul, Timor and Ambon.
These Associations are behind the demand: Prisoner of War Relatives’ As sociation, War Bereaved Parents’ Asso ciation, Eighth Division SAF Auxiliary, 1/2 Battalion AIF Association, Fathers’
Investigation Committees of Upwey and Caulfield (Victoria), and Sailors’, Soldiers’ and Airmen’s Fathers’ Association.
Their aim is to whip up public opinion in support of a demand for an inquiry, says “Smith’s.”
Territorians have been making a simi lar demand for years, but so far they have been ignored, while the officer who is responsible for the murder of 300 civi lians and hundreds of soldiers in aban doned Rabaul is protected by the Aus tralian Government.
Their demands were supported by the “Pacific Islands Monthly,” by the Sydney “Daily Telegraph” and other newspapers; but, as reported by our Canberra corres pondent in May “PIM,” Canberra turned a deaf ear to all appeals.
When Mr. A. Cameron asked in Parlia ment in April for an inquiry into Rabaul, Koepang and other campaigns, Prime Minister Chifley said that he had never heard of previous appeals; Minister for the Army, Mr. Forde, said he had nothing to say.
Perhaps the appeal of Melbourne or ganisations will have more success—al though this is doubtful. Canberra, in view of the fact that the Federal elec tions are now only four months away, is showing a strange and sometimes tactless reluctance to appease electors.
“Smith’s” says that the Royal Com mission, envisaged by the Committee handling the demand, would be given terms of reference that would inquire also into treatment that Australian soldiers received at the hands of their own officers while they were POW. A document set ting out allegations in detail and signed by representatives of all organisations connected with agitation for inquiry has been forwarded to five members of the House of Representatives—H. L. Anthony, A. G. Cameron, T. W. White, W. G.
Turnbull and R. S. Ryan.
No specific mention is made of civilian casualties of the Rabaul disaster. Per haps it would be as well for Territorians’ organisations to add their voices to those of the Australian bodies now preparing to do battle with the despots of Can berra.
The Colonial Secretary of Fiji, Mr. J. F.
Nicoll, left the Colony in April. He will proceed to England, via New Zealand, on leave.
Mrs. Eva Standen now has settled down on her mission station in the Gulf Division of Papua, to which she re turned, after nearly four years’ absence a few months ago. Mr. Standen Is still en gaged with an RAAF search party in the Sepik River country, on the tragic job of seeking for ’planes which crashed there during the Pacific war. When that is finished, he will rejoin his wife in their famous “the mission in the mud.”