CONSCRIPT CRISIS

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2666, 11 January 1916, Page 5

CONSCRIPT CRISIS

LABOUR LEADERS' VIEWS MR. THOMAS MEETS THE , j WORKERS i i A MIXED RECEPTION ; i By Telegraph—Press Association—Ooryrtght London, January 0. Aftor a week's stremious excitement over the conscription question tho coun- i trj; enjoyed a week-end of .comparative ! quiet. Interest continues to be centred i in the_ attitude of the trade unirns, but it is noteworhy* that several leaders i insist that the decision of congress must not lie regarded as a, fair reflec- j tion of trade union movement.' Mr. Hodge, M.P., considers it a mis- . j take to call a composite conference; it ; should have been a purely trade con- , ; gress. He believes the conference may re- j suit in tlie! expulsion of the Independent ; Labour Party, the Fabians, and other j political elements. Anyhow, Mr. Hodge j cousiders the crisis has passed and i there will not be a general election. ■ Mr. Havelock Wilson holds the same views. Mr. J. H. Thomas (secretary of the 1 Railwaymeu) maintains an uncompromising attitude. He had a mixed recep- j tion at Cardiff, where a meeting was j divided on lines similar to Thursday's i conference. Mr. Thomas said he would 1 support compulsion if wealth was conscribed equally with Labour. | Mr. Thomas had a mixed reception at n meeting at Swansea. He said that '' while he had the utmost contempt for ! the unmarried slacker,, he denied that j voluntaryism had yet failed, and it ' ought to be continued. Disagreement ; regarding service was not desirable, be- 1 causa it was playing into the enemy's j hands. i "Wo are determined," he, said, "to smash German militarism. We must not ! create a despotism in Britain which, j might easily be extended to the shops." j He suspected that was the object of ' many conscriptionists. For himself, he was prepared to face * his constituents upon the issue, but he opposed n general i election as likely to arouse bitterness ! and destroy unity. , -j An anti-conscription resolution was j carried. , ; A FACER FOR GERMANY i . WHAT THE ENEMY'S PRESS I THINKS ~ j Amsterdam, January 9. j The "Lokal Anzeiger' says that Ml', i Asquith's. great Parliamentary victory ! and the majority for the Military Bill j has surpassed all expectations. The j Bill expresses an uncurbed will to i achieve victory, becausc of the renuncia- ! tion of the right of deciding for one- j self'one of the greatest sacrifices an •; Englishman could make. As far as the ; Germans are concerned the Bill is only political, and has no military signifi- ; cance. It will not influence the issue of ! the war. ' The "Kolnische Volks Zeitung" in an: ; angry article on the British compulsion j law says the German fleet must' act. l ' ; Britain will bo quite uncontrollable if j allowed to send millions of men to the j Continent. Germany is really fighting ; i for the freedom of the whole of Europe when striving to break England's.rule.