Militia Battalion For
p. 22 · Read in the full issue
New Guinea
“Foreign Infiltration”
Suggested
WITH international affairs apparent!;!; working to a crisis in Asia, somic Australian newspapers have beeis getting jittery about “foreign inflltrajE tion” into New Guinea.
Some have reported the appearance iri New Guinea of Chinese who are belie vet e to have come directly from Red organii. sations in China, to join the Chinese community in the Trust Territory. Othen have stated that Indonesians are sneaks ing into Australian New Guinea from tlrr west.
So far, all the stories have the dise tinctive ear-marks of “furphies.” Nonee theless, it is plain that the existence od the Chinese community in New Guinea does provide a means by which Comn munist Fifth Columnists could get iii from Asia, practically undetected.
The Australian Minister for the Armn (Mr. Francis') announced early iii August that immediate steps were to bd taken to form a militia battalion in New Guinea, which could not only functioic in the event of trouble there, but couLI also give shape and direction to the nae tive people, in relation to defenco measures.
Lieut.-General Gordon Bennett, whr commanded the Australian Bth Division against the Japs in World War 11, veri warmly commended the idea of establish:) ing a militia formation in New Guinea?