THE UNMARRIED MEN

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2640, 10 December 1915, Page 6

THE UNMARRIED MEN

SHOULD THERE BE COMPULSION MR; ALLEN ASKS FOR ALTERNATIVES A reply -was made by tho Defence Minister yesterday to certain suggestions mado by The Dominion that lie should devote soino attention to tlioso single men who declare in their national register papers that they are not willing to servo with the colours. "No ono can tell what the class consists of," replied the Minister, "and what their reasons individually are for saying this, and until an analysis is. made of the cases and they, are classified, it would be very wrong to judge. I was askel what could be done with' tho men, and I said I did not quite know, under a voluntary system. Either they must volunteer of their own free will or be compelled to go; or there is ono other possible course which Wy be made worso than straight-out compulsion, and that is : tho bringing of such pressure to bear iipon the men as would make it impossible,for them to live in New Zealand in peace and so indirectly compelling them to go and fight. Stick a course ■ is very open to argument as a fair thing to do. Can' the critics suggest an alternative? It is easy to bo destructive, but I shall be glad to have soine .constructive policy suggested! _ "There are only two forms of service: voluntary and conscription. And, as I have said, there is a way .of making tho voluntary system more severe than conscription, by oririging pressure to bear, which is nnfair, unjust, and un-Bri-tish."