Guinea!

Buy Western New

Some Discussion In Australia

THE facts that the Indonesians still are anxious to get control of Western New Guinea from the Dutch; that Asiatic Communists are tending to thrust southwards towards Australia; and that the Indonesians are more likely to frat ernise with the Reds than oppose them, were debated in May, by the Liberal and Country Party of Victoria.

Members said that the Dutch could not bold the Reds back and they considered :hat Australia should buy Western New Guinea from the Dutch, and thus use the whole of the great island as a barrier igainst the Reds.

Mr. D. L. Hore Lacy, a well-known planter of New Britain, writing to the Melbourne Age, made some interesting comments; “One has only to remember how, at the cutset of the last war, the US hastened to ;ecure her outer defences by obtaining lossession of some British Islands in the Caribbean (in exchange for some obsolete lestroyers). Also one calls to mind the mrchase of Louisiana from France in the larly days of Federation for the sum of wo million dollars.

“This Island Continent—the last of the mpty spaces of a rapidly filling Earth yhich is fit for white habitation—has no rentiers to the south, east or west; it inly has one frontier, the tropical north.

Ve should remember that but for the trength of the US Navy in the battle of he Coral Sea and but for the heroism if the AIF on the Kokoda trail, that rentier would have been pierced in the ast war.

“What have we done since? The pre ious Government, in the person of its atuous and egocentric Minister, has mis landled our affairs to such an extent that le USA has abandoned Manus—a tropical igoon which they turned into a first lass bastion on our northern frontier at cost of many millions. True, the RAN re now manning it to the extent of one ug and a small shore staff.

“Surely it is time, now that we are cele rating our 50th year of Federation that re become more realistic.

“Not only should Manus be brought back ito full Commission, but we should aim t owning or controlling the whole of New luinea, the western portion of which used d be and still is controlled by the Dutch. >n no account should it be allowed to go y default to a rabble of ignorant Malays, /hether looked at from the native welfare ngle (which we are so solicitous about) r the defence angle, the situation calls 3r positive action.

“It is no use saying that we could not lan or police the Territory; there are lenty of men of experience to be drawn non from within the Empire.

“Not least important is the fact that le Dutch Territory contains Oil.”

Recent departures on leave from the 'ritish Solomon Islands include Mr. C. W. [indie, Commissioner of Lands; Mr. H.

V. Gaudin, Director of Education, who 111 spend three months’ Vacation leave i New Zealand; Dr. and Mrs. J. S. Mc- Kenzie Pollock, for the United Kingdom, nd Mr. W. G. Elliot of the Public Works department. Mr. and Mrs. A. P. Peebles nd Dr. and Mrs. W. H. McDonald re amed in May from overseas leave. Dr.

IcDonald will act as Senior Medicai >fficer during the absence of Dr. Mc ienzie Pollock.