ICA
OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE ARCHDIOCESE OF PERTH. Registered at the G.P.O., Perth, for transmission by post as a newspaper.
ESTABLISHED 1874.
PERTH, WEDNESD AY, MAY 21, l°47.
NO. 2,284.
A Poet Who Specialises in
the Child
450 Hay Street,
'PRONE B8950 Perth, Box A35, G.P.O., Perth.
PRICE THREEPENCE.
SEVENTY-FOURTH YEAR.
Former Member's Oath Exposes Eureka Youth League was used as a dance hall with a supper room attached in which a large refrigerator, a business type, was situated. Attached to
Charles Hilson's Significance Under Direct Control of years earliest encouragement priest, lecturer from Communist Party the Teachers' Father came ago when Dr. G. Rev. -in -charge of a Catholic Uniwho was enCollege in the McGovern, versity of Sydney, was searching gaged in historical research in for material for an anthology of Wyndham. Australian verse suitable for Mr. Hilson has had his work small children, he accidentally published widely both in the discovered in an educational Eastern States and in die West. journal three short poems bear- Some of his best work appeared ing the signature of Charles Hil- in the well-known anthology, He has also isson. His attempts to track down "Frolic Fair." the author led through a laby- sued two slender volumes, "Gum rinth of country towns, ending tips" and "Fiddle-de-dee," which finally at one of the most remote have been warmly received among
Some Mackaness,
the supper room was a kitchen with various modern appliances. On the first floor the adminisThe leaders of the Eureka gradually became clear to me trative office was to be found.a Youth League have publicly and that this organisation was not all Here also was the library and was used repeatedly stated that the said that it claimed to be. At vari- large floor space which The League is non-political and non- ous of these Council meetings of for lectures and classes. were walls room of this lecture sectarian. the E.Y.L. I learnt as with various slogans covered The following sworn statement exigencies of the day dewhich was made by a former The Constitution of the the manded. member of the Federal Executive E.Y.L. declared for "a classless The library at 40 Market Council of the Eureka Youth social system." League gives them the lie direct. (2) Originally, the E.Y.L. in street, Sydney, carried a large This statement made under oath N.S.W. was known as the Aus- number of books, mostly Comshows beyond doubt that the tralian Labour League of munistic propaganda, various perLeague is what the A.L.P. 1946 Youth, A.L.L.Y., which as and iodicals and magazines, such as Conference confirmed it to be: when it did exist, was affiliated "Man," "Man Junior," "PertinSome of the a bogus organisation under the with the Hughes -Evans group ent," and others. direct control of the Communist and was finally absorbed by Communistic literature available Party. the parent Communist body. to these young girls and boys At one period Each and every member of was indecent. Statement Under Oath. this E.Y.L. Central Executive, leaflets advertising "Six LecOn the fourth day of April, in except myself, was formerly an tures on Venereal Disease and the year one thousand nine hunExecutive Council member of Sex Education" were very prominently displayed, and the adolesdred and forty-six, Joseph Franthe A.L.L.Y. cis Egan, of 33 Melrose-pprade, (3) This Executive Council cents, both boys and girls, were Clovelly, in the State of New of the E.Y.L. frequently receiv- strongly urged to attend these South Wales, shift electrician, ed instructions from the Cen. lectures to be chaired by Mrs. being duly sworn, makes oath as tral Committee of the Com- Jessie Street. And, in fact, memfollows: munist Party. Sometimes, bers of the E.Y.L. were allowed I, the undersigned, Joseph letters from the Central Com- in to the lectures at reduced Novels authorised by Francis Egan, on 4th. April, mittee of the Australian Com- rates. 1946, do hereby declare that in munist Party were read by Havelock Ellis and others. which in my opinion were obscene and immoral, were kept in this lib-
that
Open Attack on the Morals of the `Young
the year 1943 I became a member of the organisation known as the Eureka Youth Movement of Australia, herein and after referred to as the E.Y.L., whose Sydney headquarters are situated at 40 Market -street, Sydney. In 1943, heretofore referred to, I did also sever my connection with the E.Y.L. when, after a period of some seven (7) months' membership I realised that it was an organisation under the control of the Central Committee of the Communist Party; which enforced strict discipline and demanded blind obedience to its Mr. Charles Nilson initiates some small girls into the delights directions. of "Gum -Tips." Early in 1943, I had become schools in the West-Wyndham. educationalists parents. interested in the E.Y.L. without and Such has been the apparently Among his strongest supporters any prior knowledge of its orihidden and uneventful career of are numerous teachers and in- gin or affiliations. J had met one of Australia's finest chil- spectors of the Education De- Miss Frances Bernie and Miss dren's poets. partment, including Messrs. Sten Ida Sherdan, at 40 Market -street, Born in Ballarat, Victoria, and Rockliffe, Miss Seymour (who Sydney, and it was they who Charles Hilson came to the West has delightfully illustrated both sponsored my membership shortas a child. He commenced writ- volumes), Father Moffat, of Ger- ly aftewards I was invited to ing at the age of 11 years, re- ahlton, and Mr. J. K. Ewers, the attend a meeting and was there ceiving great encouragement from author. introduced to Mr. Don Heapy and his father. After many efforts at At that The secret of Mr. Hilson's suc- Mrs. Ethel Lewis. adult poetry he was advised to cess has been his ability to write meeting the people present, exturn his hand to verses for chil- about children and their doings, cept myself, comprised the Cendren, and in this has undoubted- not from the adult point of view. tral Executive of the E.Y.L. His but from the children's. ly found his true metier. For Mr. Don Heapy, Australian work has been strongly irfluenc this reason Dr. Mackaness has President; Mrs. Ethel Lewis, alias ed by his affection for the writ- compared Mr. Hilson to A. A. Elsie Learman, Federal Organ. ings of Wordsworth and Walter Milne. His gifts of simplicity, iser and National Secretary; de la Mare. sly humour, and intimate know- Miss Frances Bernie, Asst. Naenthusiastic ledge of child psychology, and tional Secretary; Miss Ida SherMr. Hilson is says he which economy of words give his writ- dan, Social Sec. and National about the West, This meeting was has given him everything, but ings a charm all their own. He Treasurer. conducted with Mrs. Ethel Lewis most importantly his wife and has four children of his own. he is a For Faith. the Catholic At the moment two more vol- in the chair, and at the concluconvert of only 18 months' stand- umes of verse are in the course sion I was cordially invited to ing. He likes to recall that his of preparation-one of children's attend the next meeting, a week poetry and one of religious later, on the following Monday poems. Having spent 22 years night. That Monday evening I SANTA MARIA EX -STUDENTS in the Education Department in was appointed by Mrs. Ethel All ex -students of Santa Maria the rural districts of this State, Lewis (chairman) to the aforeCollege are invited to a meeting Mr. Hilson still claims that edu- said Federal Executive Council of at the College, on Sunday, June cation is his chief interest, equal- the E.Y.L. as the National SecA bus will leave opposite ly with literature and religion. retary for Sports of the E.Y.L. 8. the old G.P.O. at 2.5 p.m., re- His experiences as a writer have This position I retained until my turning at 4.15 p.m. Please try proved a labour of love, and he resignation from the E.Y.L. has discovered that there is far and come. At succeeding and successive M. EDDY, Acting Hon. Secretary less selfishness abroad than many meetings of the Federal Execu. people imagine. tive Council of the E.Y.L. it
INIMP....=110,110
rary.
[Then follows several hundred words describing incidents after a dance involving young male and female members of the Eureka Youth League, which we Mrs. Ethel Lewis at the Exe- prefer not to print.] cutive meetings of the E.Y.L. That, in brief, was the atmosAt other times, instructions phere which permeated these were communicated orally to gatherings at 40 Market -street,, the meeting by Mrs. Ethel Headquarters of the E.Y.L., SydLewis or Mr. Norman Docker. ney, and was, in my opinion, Mr. Docker was introduced to detrimental to the moral me as Mrs. Lewis' brother by most well-being of those young boys Mrs. Lewis herself. (4) Instructions issued to and girls present. Sworn by the deponent on the mem)), rs of the E.Y.L., who worked on the Newcastle and day first above mentioned at Sydney before me (Sgd.) Roger on the other coalfields to stop production of coal as was done A. A. de Bryon-Faes, J.P. at the Wonthaggi field in VicSignature of Deponent: toria. -(Sgd.) J. F. EGAN. (5) The E.Y.L. was most opposed to the phrase "Fidedity to God, King and Country," contained in the Constitution Gilroy of the National Federation of Youth Movement. They fought against the retention of this Visits
phrase but failed in their oh. jective. (6) Roneod sheets were the hands of the E.Y.L.
in
Cardinal Newcastle
Their
clothes
drenched
by
in- pouring rain, the clergy, 10,001) structing on methods-success members of the Catholic laity. ful in other countries, Spain and school -children resoundingly etc.-of street -fighting; of set- welcomed His Eminence Cardinal ting up street barricades and Gilroy to Newcastle and the Diostreet -blocks; of how and when cese of Maitland at Newcastle on to arm and disarm the street Wenesday, April 23. "The people crowds. In other words, quite are out there in the rain, and I detailed instructions for arm- am going too!" was the reply of ed minority revolt. His Eminence when it was sug(7) Debts of £250 contracted gested to him that the function by E.Y.L. were disposed of sat- should be cancelled because of the isfactorily without any appar- downpour. Though heavy showent diminution of funds held by ers had fallen, more than 800 the E.Y.L. In point of fact people gathered in the city earthe E.Y.L. could not at that lier in the day when the Cardinal period have paid the debt from placed a wreath on the War Memtheir own funds (subscriptions, orial outside Newcastle Post
fees, etc.). (8) Miss Susannah Pritchard and Mr. John Dease were at periods associated with the E.Y.L. Miss Joan Wilmott, secretary to Mr. Dease, was an accredited and financnal member of the E.Y.L.
Office. His Eminence
was accorded a civic reception in the City Hall, when speakers included the Mayor of Greater Newcastle (Ald. H. Quinlan), the Anglican Bishop of Newcastle (Right Rev. Francis de Witt Batty), the Rev. A. R. McVittie (Presbyterian), and Rabbi Morris (Jewish comAt 40 Market -street, Sydney, in munity). Earlier, in Maitland, 1943, the N.S.W. Headquarters Cardinal Gilroy was given a of the E.Y.L., the office rented tumultuous welcome by the Caat a value of £14 per week com- tholic people of the district and prised two floors. The top floor neighbouring coalfields areas.