Reserva del expediente y régimen de confidencialidad (artículos 31 y 32)

On Sunday 23 March 1919 a protest march against the War Precautions Act, staged by a number of Queensland labour and socialist groups and the Brisbane Russian Association,

provoked a violent reaction by conservative elements,

particu l a r l y soldiers. A major clash between soldiers and the police, who were attempting to protect the Russian dwellings, occurred the next night, and the following week witnessed a massive outpouring of anti-Ru s s i a n / B o l s h e v i k hysteria. These events, which have come to be known as the Red Flag Riots, were the culmination of several months of loyalist agitation and represent a major turning point in returned soldier

politics in Queensland. The riots and the 'lynch-mob' m e n t a l ­ ity which subsequently pervaded a section of the Queensland populace, can be seen as the m a n i f e s tation of a community at b r e a k i n g - p o i n t . Queensland society, already traumatised by the impact of the war, was being further stressed by the p r o ­ tests and demands of elements in the labour movement and by the answering efforts of conservative forces to counter what they saw as being a radical, alien challenge to the status q u o . In the midst of this, additional pressures were caused by the returned soldiers who were trying to regain their place in society. The resulting conflicting aspirations, concerns, fears and frustrations were to explode into an unprecedented

week of violence and hysteria. The Red Flag Riots and s u b ­

sequent events not only provide a glimpse of what happens when a society is stretched too far, but also illustrate graphically the m a n i p u l a t i o n of soldier politics in Queensland.

Spurred on by the successful protest against the proposed anniversary celebration by the Soviet A l l i a n c e , (2) loyalist activity escalated in the closing months of 1918. A series of w e l l - a t t e n d e d and boisterous meetings was held by the Loyalty League throughout the State and an enthusiastic conservative press kept the issue of loyalty before the public. Encouraged by the apparent mass concern over the spread of disloyalty, efforts were made to give greater impetus to the loyalist cause by uniting the various discrete groups into a more effective single grouping. An attempt by the Opposition

Leader, E.H. McCartney, to form a political organisation, the Australian Democratic Union (ADU), with the stated objective of total opposition "to the principles of revolutionary

Socialism, anarchy or Bolshevism", initially stalled because of political rivalry between it and the National Political Council (NPC). A more covert grouping of loyalist o r g a n ­ isations was, however, to prove s u c c e s s f u l .(3)

(2) See Chapter Four for details on the protest.

(3) Personality clashes and a certain amount of sectarian

feeling prevented the ADU from uniting with the NPC, which was the main controlling body of the Nationalist Party in Queensland, until February 1919. The Brisbane Courier

supported the NPC whereas the Daily Mail had backed the ADU from the outset and this had added to delay. Brisbane C o u r i e r , 16 December 1918; A A C , CRS A393^. file SC5[l]l Daily S t a n d a r d , 15 November 1918.

- 1 1 0-

As has been pointed out in Chapter One, concern about the growth of undesirable influences in Australian society p r o m p t ­ ed an anti- L a b o r constellation, headed by W.A. Watt and

Herbert Brookes, to plan the setting up of a semi-official intelligence agency which would use the services of the

various loyalist groups to combat disloyalty. The Queensland r e p r e s entative of the organisation was Police Commissioner Urquhart, and in December 1918 he surreptitiously approached a number of loyalist figures with the aim of setting up a united loyalty organisation. His approaches would seem to have borne fruit, as in early January 1919 the QRSL was invited "to

appoint delegates to attend a m e e ting of all loyal Societies with the object of unity of effort". (l l) By February 1919 the

organis a t i o n was w e l l-established and operating under the

title of United Loyalty Executive (ULE). In March 1919 it was composed of delegates from the Navy League, Royal Society of St. George, Commercial Travellers Club, Queensland Loyalty

League, Loyal Orange Lodge, Protestant League, Kalinga

Progress Association, QRSL and the RSPNPL. By combining the efforts and influence of the various patriotic groups in Queensland, the United Loyalty Executive had the potential to

(l l) S o l d i e r , 2 U January 1919. The QRSL appointed Captains Pike and C ottam and Mr Hanlon as their delegates. Both Pike and C o ttam were involved with the Nationalist Party, but H anlon appears a curious choice as there are hints that he was supportive of the Labor Government. Rev. Plane later took H a n l o n ’s place.

become a major political force in the State, and was regarded by some conservative observers as the only bright spot for the Nationalists on an otherwise divided and factionalised

political s c e n e . (5) On the other hand the Executive with its stated policy of opposing the ’’anarchical tendencies of the more clamant political sections which support the State

G o v e r n m e n t ” and its distinctly antagonistic attitude towards labour was naturally opposed by the Government which

considered the ULE to be more anti-Labor than p r o - E m p i r e .(6) The groups making up the ULE were quick to respond to any signs of Bolshevik activity and in late January a d e m o n s ­

tration by about 1,000 protesters against the War Precautions Act resulted in a flurry of angry letters calling for action against the ' r e v o l u t i o n a r i e s ’ being sent to the press from the

loyalist c a m p . (7) Most of the blame for the disloyal p r o c e e d ­ ings was assigned to alien agitators, particularly Russians who had become a major source of worry for Queensland l o y a l ­ ists. Reflecting this concern, and their complete immersion in conservative politics, the QRSL forwarded in late February a motion to the Federal Central Council calling on the Federal Government to:

(5) J.J. Stable, Censor 1 M.D., to W.A. Watt, 9 February 1919. A A C , CRS A393Ü, file SC5[1].

(6) Brisbane C o u r i e r , 13 March 1919; Murphy, T .J . R y a n , p.402. (7) A A B , BP 230/U 'Miscellaneous Papers Commonwealth Police,

- 1 1 2-

"issue passports to all Russians and other aliens desirous of leaving Australia and ... give them every assistance to leave this country as in this C o u n c i l ’s opinion they are a hindrance to returned soldiers and the public generally ” .(8)

By February, however, it was becoming clear that the ULE was c a nvassing the prospect of stronger measures than letters and motions in the fight against disloyalty. The Executive

decided that month to launch a loyalty campaign ’’immediately and simultaneously with an a n t i - r e volutionary or anti-

Bolshevik m o v e m e n t ” and it set about gathering as many o rganisations as possible to its cause, including such m a r g i n a l l y political groups as the National Agricultural Asso c i a t i o n Council. In late February Police Commissioner Urquhart wrote to Herbert Brookes, that the Executive was

growing in size and that ’’they wish to go pretty far - not only to uphold the constitution by peaceful means but to have a formidable striking force ready if r e q u i r e d ” . It would seem that the Executive planned for its striking force to be armed, for in late February the Brisbane office of the Commonwealth Police reported that the Executive was providing its members

(8) N L A , MS6609. Series 8, National Circular N o . 39/19

(Emphasis a u t h o r ’s); Q S A , A/7137# In Letter lHUOll of 1920. It is likely that the QRSL motion was prompted by a

m e e ting between Police C o m missioner Urquhart and members of the Loyalty Executive in early February. Urquhart considered the Russians a ’’menace to the peace and well being of [Brisbane]” and it is likely that he relayed his concern to the Loyalty delegation.

w i t h a r m s and a m m u n i t i o n from the r i f l e c l u b s . (9) By e a r l y