Abridged Article - The Red Threat on Five Fronts
RSL (Port Pirie Sub Branch) Inc."I ask the young men here today to make up their minds at once on what they intend doing with their country's call. A decision to enlist and help will be our best assurance of future freedom and peace."
Flight-Lieut. Wheaton said that when last he was in Port Pirie it was 1942, and he was a trainee. The town did not seem to have changed much,' and he liked it just as much as ever.
"NO WARNING"
He agreed with the previous speaker that if another war broke out there would be no warning. There would be no breathing-space in which to train recruits, which could not be done in a week or a month. At least six months would be necessary to train a man for the Army, two years in the Navy, and at least 12 months to have a man ready for air crew in the R.A.A.F. So listeners would realise what delay would mean.
'"Go back to December 7, 1941, when Japan entered the war," he said. "Within two months they had captured two of the greatest of Empire bastions of defence, one of which was Singapore. Where Australia would have been in succeeding months had it not been for the aid of friendly Allies, particularly America, can be only guessed at. Where would those Japs have penetrated if given six months? We hesitate to think of it.
"The identity of the probable aggressor is perfectly obvious to all. Even now that country has in Australia wreckers and breakers ready and eager to strike when the word is given. The men in the Kremlin have for five years been building a master plan which makes that of Hitler look amateurish. Let us not forget that in the past five years the Reds have moved 5,000 miles into other countries, and have gained influence over more than 600 million people. And where are they moving? Toward Australia's northern gateway.
FIVE FRONTS NOW
"At the present moment there are five separate war fronts in our part of the world, and in effect we may say that World War III is here. They are fighting in Korea, Malaya, Tibet, Indo-China, and Indonesia. So we may gauge the danger in which Australia stands, and she must be kept free at all costs, and that freedom is in the hands of her young men. "The Red threat is definite. Even now, if we knew it, it might be too late. But that thought should act as a spur to us all."
A vote of thanks to the speakers and the band, and to the mayor for having "chaired" the meeting, was five separate war fronts in our part moved by Mr". Wells, who said that the paucity of the attendance at the meeting was indicative of the general apathy.
The Recorder, Port Pirie, S.A. Monday 4 December 1950
- Trove Australia http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article96261216
