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8.
is ARCHIVES "NATIONAL RECORDS SERVICE" AND
ORE 9-49
COMMUNIST INFLUENCE IN AUSTRALIA
SUMMARY
The 15,000 members of the Australian Communist Party (ACP)
are capable of crippling Australian industry temporarily by means
of their positions in and control over members of key trade unions
in the fields of industry and transport. Because of its considerable
power within the trade unions, which are the principal source of the
Labor Party's strength, the ACP can also apply indirect pressure
upon the Australian Governments The extent of direct Communist
influence within the Australian Government (including the armed
forces) however, cannot adequately be assessed on the basis of
information now available to CIA. No known Communists have been
elected to the Federal Parliament and only one member of one State
Parliament is a known ACP member. Moreover, the Labor Party,
in control of the Australian Government since 1941, has denounced
Communist methods and principles, has refused repeated ACP offers
to affiliate, and has forbidden Labor Party association with any known
Communist subsidiary. The Labor Government is currently prosecuting
the Secretary-General of the ACP for sedition, and another ACP leader
was recently convicted on the same charge. Labor Party leaders in
the Government, however, have refused demands for the banning of
the ACP, have been slow to counteracti the growth of Communist
power in key trade unions, and, in the past have been notoriously
lax regarding security measures. In justification for the Government's
official attitude, Labor leaders claim a desire not to martyr Communism
and thus strengthen it, but rather to defeat it openly with due regard for
civil liberties.
There is no positive evidence of direct contact between the ACP
and the USSR. However, the Soviet Embassy provides a potential chan-
nel; most of the present ACP leaders are Moscow-trained; ACP mem-
bers have made numerous visits to satellite countries, and unsubstan-
tiated reports speak of financial assistance to the ACP from other
Note: The intelligence organizations of the Departments of State, Army,
Navy, and the Air Force have concurred in this report. It is based
on information available to CIA as of 4 April 1949.
- is que
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"ocrText": "8.\nis ARCHIVES \"NATIONAL RECORDS SERVICE\" AND\nORE 9-49\nCOMMUNIST INFLUENCE IN AUSTRALIA\nSUMMARY\nThe 15,000 members of the Australian Communist Party (ACP)\nare capable of crippling Australian industry temporarily by means\nof their positions in and control over members of key trade unions\nin the fields of industry and transport. Because of its considerable\npower within the trade unions, which are the principal source of the\nLabor Party's strength, the ACP can also apply indirect pressure\nupon the Australian Governments The extent of direct Communist\ninfluence within the Australian Government (including the armed\nforces) however, cannot adequately be assessed on the basis of\ninformation now available to CIA. No known Communists have been\nelected to the Federal Parliament and only one member of one State\nParliament is a known ACP member. Moreover, the Labor Party,\nin control of the Australian Government since 1941, has denounced\nCommunist methods and principles, has refused repeated ACP offers\nto affiliate, and has forbidden Labor Party association with any known\nCommunist subsidiary. The Labor Government is currently prosecuting\nthe Secretary-General of the ACP for sedition, and another ACP leader\nwas recently convicted on the same charge. Labor Party leaders in\nthe Government, however, have refused demands for the banning of\nthe ACP, have been slow to counteracti the growth of Communist\npower in key trade unions, and, in the past have been notoriously\nlax regarding security measures. In justification for the Government's\nofficial attitude, Labor leaders claim a desire not to martyr Communism\nand thus strengthen it, but rather to defeat it openly with due regard for\ncivil liberties.\nThere is no positive evidence of direct contact between the ACP\nand the USSR. However, the Soviet Embassy provides a potential chan-\nnel; most of the present ACP leaders are Moscow-trained; ACP mem-\nbers have made numerous visits to satellite countries, and unsubstan-\ntiated reports speak of financial assistance to the ACP from other\nNote: The intelligence organizations of the Departments of State, Army,\nNavy, and the Air Force have concurred in this report. It is based\non information available to CIA as of 4 April 1949.\n- is que"
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