SOCIALIST AGITATOR ENLISTS

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2681, 29 January 1916, Page 12

SOCIALIST AGITATOR ENLISTS

HIS COUNTRY'S CALL WHY HE ANSWERED IT Having passed the greater part of his life as an activo Labour organiser and a.-strenuous apostle of peace, Mr. W. lic-sser, president of the Australian Railway Workers and General Labourers' Association, was regarded by his friends as one of the last men to voluntarily shoulder a rifle and sally forth in search of Germans to kill. When,, therefore, it became known that he had enlisted there was a considerable stir i'.i union and socialistic circles, for, besides being a union leader, Mr. Eosser was for many years a strong advocate of the doctrines of Socialism. Ha always expressed liis hatred of war whenever the subject was mentioned,-. and tried to instil into other people tlio desire for international peace. Since the outbreak of the present war. however, his ideas have undergone a change. He still believes in peace in the abstract, but when it came to be a question of .whether Britain or Germany shall rule -the world—in'otlier words, as he puts it, whether ive were to have freedom or slavery—he. decided that it was his duty to strike a blow in the fight that was in reality a war against war. "I felt," he said, yesterday, "as I still feel, that no Britisher can view the German successes with indifference and equanimity. I cannot help feeling that it is my duty when my country and the liberties of our race are in danger, to offer my. services to my country, to give it the best and the utmost in me,- and if need be, to unhesitatingly give my life in the attempt.

"It must never be forgotten that this terrible war was thrust upon the world by Germany, who for many years systematically prepared for the campaign of carnage, slaughter, and destruction in which, she lias been engaged from the moment siTo Invaded unfortunate Belgium. And there can be no doubt whatever as to the object of Germany in seeking world domination. It is an object which takes by the throat every principle of freedom, justice, liberty, aiul social progress, so dear to the hearts of sincere and earnest lovers of humanity the world over. Can any man of sensibility and spirit sit _ still and allow the sacrilege to continue, aniT not move a step or a muscle ia defence? The position can be met honourably only in one way, and that 'way is by means of the step I have taken.

Workors Must Faoe tho Facts. "The intelligent workers of this Commonwealth must look the facts in the face, and act fearlessly as the occasion demands. ''Let me, for their information, quote a recently expressed opinion of so impartial au authority as Samuel Gompers, President of the American Federation of Labour, 0110 of the most jjowerful labour organisations in the world. Referring to the war in a letter to Mr. Appleton, Secretary of the _ General Federation of Trade Unions in Great Britain, -he stated: — . "I have. 110 hesitancy in saying to you that, in my judgment, there aro some things that are even moro abhorrent than war —that is, to be robbed of the. birthright of freedom, justice, safety,. and character. Against any attempt of any person or group of persons, or nation or nations, who may bo engaged in an effort to undermine, or destroy these fundamentals of normaj human existence and development, I. woukhnot only fight to defeat it, but prevail upon every red-blooded liberty and humanity-loving man to resist to the last degreo. "We who will ficht with the forces of Great Britain ana her' Allies will bo engaged in a war against -war. To do otherwise is an act which cncourages, aids and abets war and all the horrorß associated with it. Now is the time to act. For the most ardent opponent of militarism tbero is only one legitimate, course to take. It is to fight militarism till it is crushed.

"I am opposed to conscription, and to save .Australia lrom it I as a mere unit in the community feci that to be logical and right in tiiis hour of need I must help ihe '.iovoniment ot the country and enlist. To oppose conscription, and yet not enlist, is the act of a trifler aud hypocrite. All such are not men, and are useless to the world at this period of its dire need—or indeed at any time. The call of the moment is for MEN.

"1 want to see the Allies win. Ido not want to'see German hegemony of tho Continent of Europe. Rather do I wish for the recognition of nationalities within their natural boundaries, with their own languages and customs, allowed to work - out their destinies in peaco and freedom.

"The cause of the Allies emphatically stands for this, and all tho weaker nations know it. In such a causo every true man who possesses the slightest genuine sympathy for humanity must leel it to be a privilege to bo identified. "To those who still may doubt may I, in conclusion, say the occasion calls for immediate decision and instant action. 11l this moment of world crisis, as in most things, delays are dangerous. More than that, it involves disaster to all we hold most dear in life. The enemy will not allow us an indefinite period of time to argue about the situation. Now, as never before in our history, our country calls. Will it be said in future it went down in disaster because its sons hi its dire extremity remained deaf to its calls? "The Germans are winning the war on land. .We cannot shut our eyes to that fact. Their successes are, to a large extent, nullifying our victories at sea. And from whatever point of view I look the future of the Allied nations is still in the realms of uncertainty. To remove that uncertainty for those who honestly sympathise with the cause of tho Allies there is only one course to take, and I have taken it. "Such being my conviction, as a citizen who tries to take an intelligent interest in the struggles of his fellowbeings and his country, what else was left for mo but to enlist? It will be too late to enlist should we bo conquered."—Sydney "Sundaj* Sun."