Papua

‘New Statesman’ Rubbish For Papua Something More About That April 26 Broadcast

IT may be remembered that at 7.11 pm on April 26, there was broadcast from Port Moresby a thing described as “an extract from a commentary on over seas affairs,” which was a good example of cunning propaganda directed against the Western Democracies, and in favour of the Communist bloc.

We published a summary of this in triguing rubbish in the May issue; and, under the heading of “ABC Does Dirty Work for ‘Fellow Travellers’” we said: “This has, all over it, the marks of the most cunning type of Moscow propa gandist. But it is so subtle that it easily can be accepted as sound argument by the careless and uninstructed.”

The incident came under the notice of Mr. T. W. White, MP, and he asked questions about it in the Australian Par liament. After much delay, he received, late in July, a long letter about it from the Australian PMG, Senator Cameron, who made the following statements; The broadcast was actually part of a leading article from “New Statesman” of March 27, 1948, although it was not so described. It was read over 9PA by a Miss Dorothy Lloyd. The ABC “considered that the article, so far from giving sup port to Communism, was definitely opposed to it, and made specific sugges tions as to the best means by which Communism might be combatted in Western Europe.” The officer in charge at Port Moresby has been informed that unsigned articles must not be trans mitted in this fashion, and the ABC is sure that such an incident will not occur again.

The ABC sent also a full copy of the broadcast, as read by Miss Lloyd.

Editorial Note

AN examination of the full text of the broadcast shows that the summary of it, which we published in May. was an admirable summary—its chief fault being that it did not show how vicious, biassed and dangerous the broad cast actually was.

The broadcast did not advocate Com munism; but it did urge British people to steer clear of America and Russia, to identify themselves only with the demo cratic peoples of Western Europe, and to assist the Western European economic and social union to “maintain its faith in democracy and its struggle for Socialism.”

There is no essential difference between the Socialism that already is destroying the British Empire, and the economic and political set-up that Communist Russia is now trying to force upon the whole world. There seems little possi bility now of the w T orld escaping a ter rible war between the two irreconcilable ideologies—Russian Communist Totali tarianism, wherein the individual is enslaved by the State, and Western Democracy, which is the basis of all Anglo-American institutions, wherein the liberty of the individual is the first con sideration. That war is being thrust upon us by the Communist bloc of nations, led by Russia.

There is no compromise possible be tween these two ideologies—the British people must be on one side or the other.

If we do not support America in resisting

Russia’s plan to enslave the world, we shall be assisting the Russians. There can be no middle course. The “New Statesman” is a journal which promul gates the views of the it is not actually Red, it is very close to it. It supports academic Socialism, while nom inally opposing Communism—blithely ignoring the proved fact that there is no essential difference between logical Socialism and hard-and-fast Communism.

The “New Statesman” should just about

represent the political beliefs of the rank and file of the Australian Broadcasting Commission, which stands four-square for the dreadful governmental hotch potch called Chifley-ism. But that is no reason why the ABC should try to pro mulgate “New Statesman” views ai an apparently unguarded corner of its broadcasting area like Port Moresby.

It is to be hoped that this matter will be further ventilated in the Australian Parliament.