The Dominion TUESDAY, AUGUST 22, 1916. THE FINAL WARNING

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2856, 22 August 1916, Page 4

The Dominion TUESDAY, AUGUST 22, 1916. THE FINAL WARNING

By the proclamation of the enrolment o x the First Division of the Force Reserve ' tho machinery of tho Military Service A.et will be set in motion. The enrolment is to be proclaimed on September 1, and tho Act provides that, within fourteen days ■ after tho gazetting of the proclamation every man in the Dominion who belongs to the First Division shall make application for enrolment, unless he has already furnished to the Government Statistician the particulars required in with tho National Registration Act of 1915. It is of the utmost importance that the roll should be as complete as possible. It is the duty of overy citizen to do what he can to assist the authorities in their efforts to secure tho enrolment of every man whose name ought to bo on tho Register. _ The urgency of this matter is insisted ujjon, by the Prime Minister in a circular which he has just issued as Chairman of the Recruiting Board. It is proposed to carry on a vigorous publicity campaign during the enrolment period of fourteen days. ' What the law_ requires will be stated in tho plainest terms, and given the widest publicity, so that no one will have even tho shadow of an excuse for neglecting to comply with the mandates of tho Military Service Act. Many warnings and appeals have already been issued, and' it is impossible for any man of ordinary intelligence to plead ignorance in extenuation of his failure to register. Ministers have at various times explained the position, and have made it quite clear that those who refuse or neglect to obey tho law in the matter of enrolment will- not escape prosecution. The Act casts the obligation of enrolment on the individual himself. He cannot shift this responsibility on to any other person. The individual must himself make application in writing to be put on the Register. No one can do it for him, but he will receive all the necessary information and assistance at any post office in the Dominion. Everything possible has been done to facilitate the performance of this public \duty. It should bo borne in mind by all poncerned that the publication in the Gazette of tho Proclamation shall be deemed sufficient notice, and the liability of all persons under the Act shall be determined accordingly. Every citizcn should as a matter of course give all the help he can to the authorities, in order to ensure the smooth working of the Act'. Tho fairness and effectiveness of its operations depend largely upon the completeness of the National Register, and every citizen is morally bound to do all in his power to minimise troublo and friction in connection with its compilation. The purpose of tho Act is to help tho Empire to win the war, and anyone who does anything to obstruct the working of its machinery is, wittingly or unwittingly, placing the enemy's game. It would be manifestly unfair to citizens who scrupulously obey the law if the unscrupulous were allowed to flout the law with impunity. It is, therefore, satisfactory to have the assurance of the, Prime Minister that the punitive provisions of tho Act will bo enforced against those who fail to enrol after the final warning. Tho penalties are severe—and

» " ~*~ ——- ■lightly, so. This is no time for tnfhng. A man who does not make application within tho prescribed tirao_ for enrolment in the class or division to which ho belongs is liable on summary conviction before a Magistrate to imprisonment for three months, or to a fine of fifty pounds. The Act also provides that any person, conviotcd lon a chargo of failing to register may be called up directly for service, and shall thereupon become a member of tho Expeditionary Force, just as if ho had been sclooted from the Reserve by lot, and liacl bceu called up by a notice published in the Gazette. Tho Government is determined to tako effective measures to ensure obedience to the requirements cit the law. The nation has a right to expect that the Act shall be enforced without fear or The shirkor who jb made 'to pay the penalty of shirking will get no sympathy from anybody oxcept his fellow-shirkers. Ho will certainly deserve all tho punishment he receives. During the past few months the : authorities have collected a great deal of information with regard to persons who ought to be enrolled, but who havo not so far sent in their registration cards. This information has been received from many different sources, and after the proclamation of enrolment other methods of discovering those who are endeavouring to evade their fluty can be put into operation. All this data will come -in very useful when the time comes to take legal proceedings against those peoplo who havo persistently turned a deaf ca>" to the voice of warning and appeal. When porsuasion fails, tne compelling hand of tho. Stato must be firmly placed on the shoulders of the laggards.