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FORDE SAYS DOCUMENTS REVEAL PLANS FOR KILLING LEADERS AND DEFENSE SABOTAGE SYDNEY, Australia, May 25 (AP) --Army Minister Francis M. Forde announced today the arrest of twenty-three men and women, believed to have been associated with the so-called Australia First Front, on charges of treasonable conspiracy to aid the Japanese if they invaded Australia. Mr. Forde said seized documents gave plans for the assassination of leading Australians and for sabotaging vulnerable points. "These documents indicate fifth column activity of the worst kind to be very small and by a small band of people," Mr. Forde said. The arrests were made by military authorities. Of those arrested, Mr. Forde said three men and a woman were held at Perth in Western Australia. Leaders of the Australia First movement said they were astonished at Mr. Forde's allegations. One member said the accusations were "silly and ridiculous." All those arrested were commited for trial on heavy bail. FOUR CHARGED IN PERTH PERTH, Australia, May 25 (UP) --Three men and a woman accused of being the ringleaders of an Australian Fifth Column ready to aid the Japanese with widespread saboatge in the event of an invasion of Western Australia were commited to trial today in the Perth court. The four committed to trial here are Laurence Frederick Bullock, Charles Leonard Williams, Edward Cunningham Quicke and Nancy Rachel Krakouer. Frederick James Thomas, military intelligence investigator, was said to have produced evidence early in February of the subversive activities of the now-banned Australia First Movement in Western Australia. Adopting the name of Frederick Carl Hardt, Thomas was said to have won the confidence of Bullock, who revealed that he was a State organizer for the pro-Axis movement and that Quicke was the "Gauleiter" for Southeast Australia, responsible for sabotage and aiding the Japanese in event of an invasion. Thomas later met Quicke, according to the evidence, and learned of the organization's widespread plans for sabotage. The investigator said he attended a meeting on Feb.27 at which Nancy Krakouer, Williams and Bullock discussed a draft proclamation "establishing" a new government, with Bullock as Prime Minister. The draft proclamation was said by Thomas to have paid tribute to "the valiant Japanese who have so successfully fought for the liberation of our people from Jewish domination and the danger of communism." It also was said to have welcomed the Japanese military leaders "who are assisting the true patriots of this country to smash forever the British stranglehold over our people." On cross-examination at the hearing here Thomas said he joined the Communist party under instructions to uncover anti-Australian activities. He denied, however, that he was a provocateur. Bullock and Quicke described the charges against them as "all a joke."