The Dominion. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 21,1915. NATIONAL SERVICE

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2598, 21 October 1915, Page 4

The Dominion. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 21,1915. NATIONAL SERVICE

\ The national service controversy has reached an acute stage in Britain. Recent cablegrams indicate that the Cabinet is divided on the question, and Sir Edward Carson's resignation may possibly be followed by a' reconstructon of the Ministry. Great pressure is being exercised on the Government, to induco it to take tho country more fully into its confidence, and to declare plainly whether the voluntary system is producing the men required by Lord Kitchener, or whether some form of compulsory service is necessary in order to win the war. On this point there is much difference of opinion, but tho balance appears to be surely > turning in favour _ of compulsion. Many people who dislike the idea oi conscription have unwillingly become convinced that we cannot over- - throw our enemies without it. They are prepared to accept it as the lesser B . of two evils. They feel that compul--1 sion is bad, but that defeat would s bo infinitely worse. Freedom is n o splendid thing; but only madmen would claim the liberty to commit national suicide. The Empire is lighting for freedom, and if victory - should go to our enemies, what would become of our freedom? The attitude of the Trade Union Congress, which met at .Bristol early in September, is'significant. A resolution was carried expressing disapproval of conscription—but with qualifications. The Congress declared that the war must be prosecuted to a successful issue. The resolution stated that "no reliable evidence had been produced that the voluntary svstem of enlistment is not adequate'to meet all the Empire's requirements." The reasonable inferio once to. bo drawn from the resolution, t, read in conjunction \vith_ the t- speeches, is that if the constituted j- authorities deliberately declare that !i! conscription is nccessary to ensure a tho national safety, the trade nmon>r ists will not oppose it. Mr. Ben e- Tillistt told the Congress that if B he believed that, conscription 'vouitl 3t help to end the war sooner than was

possible under the voluntary system « lie would vote for it straight away. a It is not a question of principle, C but of necessity. The people are P looking to the Government and to t.i Loud aitciiener for a clear lead. I The nation is ready to make what- C ever sacrificcs mayue required of it; a but Ministers seem to underestimate a the strength o£ the fighting spirit of ' the country, and their grip on the situation is weakened by lack of 6 unanimity. \ s It is quite plain that a large section of the British people strongly <"< object to being hustled into conscrip- " tion by the Nortiicliffe press. Some of the advocates of compulsion have by their methods of advocacy prejudiced -the cause- they are striving to serve. The adoption of conscription at a crisis like the present is a very different thing from its enforcement in times of peace. We must be ready to sacrifice any traditional ideas and personal prejudices that may block the way to the achievement of the supreme objectvictory. We believe —we must believe that if the British C4overnmcnfc ; took the nation into its confidence anil gave the solemn assurance that national service was an absolute necessity the people would accept the system with enthusiasm. In this connection it is well to bear in mind a point to which Professor Sorley, of Cambridge University, has drawn,attention, namely, that tho organisation necessary for winning the war will not necessarily be continued after peac9'has been restored. Professor Sorley also reminds the British people that the demand is not for military service only, but for national service in the widest sense; that everyone should be under rule to do the work for which he is suited for securing the objects which the country has in view. To hold our own in this struggle is not sufficient. We must- win, and win decisively. At a recent recruiting meeting, Lord Derby remarked that if an. inconclusive peace had to be accepted, with the danger of another war with Germany, Britain would l)e compelled to have a real conscript army. To-day we are told that under Lord Derby's organisation a final supreme effort is to be made to prove that the voluntary system will provide all the men required in sufficient time to meet the needs of the military situation. Failure will leave the nation no other option than, some form of eonipul- j ,sion. (