The Dominion THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 1916. COMPULSORY SERVICE IN AUSTRALIA

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2882, 21 September 1916, Page 4

The Dominion THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 1916. COMPULSORY SERVICE IN AUSTRALIA

■* ——— . • ,f HE Australian Prime Minister (Mr. Hughes) is having the full support of the Federal Opposition in his campaign in favour of compulsory, military service, and there is no- reason to. doubt that ho will bo able to carry with him a largo majority of his own party. Mr. Holman, tho Labour Premier of New South Wales, has decided to give Mr. Hughes all the assistance ho oan. Mr. Hoi.man's attitude moots with the wtraight-out approval of at least six other members of, "the State Cabinet, and.it is not considered likely that any of the other three Ministers will aotively oppose the proposal to givo tho Federal Government compulsory powers for tho purpose of obtaining the necessary reinforcements. Tho great meeting held in the Sydney Town Hall may bo taken to indicate that the peopio of Australia aro determined that the Commonwealth shall play its proper part in, tho war, and that they now realise that in order to maku sure of obtaining the required number of men tho Government must be authorised to compel tho enlistment of physically fit men of military age who will not bo persuaded to offer their services to their country. Itecruitin'g is at present at a remarkably low ebb. It is absolutely necessary that steps should bo taken 1 to give tho 150,000 fit single men who are still holding back an imperative reminder, of their duty. The number of men required for reinforcements during the present month is 32,500. On a population basis, Queensland would nave to contribute 5000, Now South Wales 11,200, Victoria 9800,, South Australia 3100, Western Australia 2300, and Tasmania 1100. But at tho present rate of enlistment there is no likelihood of. these totals being reached. Tho figures for the first five days of September show a .very serious shortage:

Later figures show- that the enlistments for tho/ first fourteen days of Soptembor were only 3694, whereas the number required to maintain tho reinforcements was about 15,000. These figures speak for themselves. It is not surprising that Me. Huohks is doing his utmost to impress upon his follow-eountrymen the duty of giving an affirmative answer to tho llefercndum question: "Are you in favour of the Government having, in this grave emergency, the ■ same compulsory powers over citizens in regard to requiring their military service fortho term of this war outsido the Commonwealth us it now ha-s in iogard to military service within thoCommonwealth'(" Tho vote will be taken on October 28. The opposition to tho Federal Government's recruiting proposals comes mainly from that narrowvisioned section of tho Labour party which persists in playing a selfish party game even at a time when all that makes life tolerable to a free man is at stake. For all these perversa partisans seem to oaro, the men who are now at the front may be betrayed and deserted, and abandoned to the tender mercies of the Huns. The anti-con-scriptionists impudently claim the right to speak on behalf of tho in-

dustrial classes, and they have secured .a Hold on the political Labour machine from which it 'is not easy to dislodge them. The hostility to the compulsory vervice proposals is being organised by an aggressive group of irreconcilables. An instructive article which recently appeared in the Sydney Morning Herald throws some gleams of light upon tho character of the opposition which Mb. Hughes has to face. Nowhere, we are told, -save in Adelaide, has it been possible for him to set the facts before persons at once representative of the Labour movement and free to decide on the merits of the case. A secret junta is arrogating to itself the right to speak for the great Labour party.. These men, who pretend to be the mouthpiece of the democracy, "are determined to close the mouths of the representatives of the people, and have stopped and will stop at nothing to achieve their purpose." The Adelaide Labour Conference "was the only Labour body having authority to speak on behalf of tho movement wh'ioh has heard tho position set out'by the Prime Minister," and it is a significant fact that this conference carried a resolution expressing confidence in tho Prime Minister and the • Federal Labour Government. Two months ago the Labour Conference of West Australia, aftor full discussion, carried a similar resolution, which shows that when the representatives of Labour are given an opportunity of freely and openly expressing their opinions, they show that they are in agreement with the Government and in conflict with the policy of the secret juntas. Fortunately the question of oompulsory service will not be decided by juntas, caucuses, or any sectional organisations, but by the people of Australia, and it is that the great majority of them will vote "Yes" when the Referendum is taken. Tho Premier of South Australia recently declared that it was remarkable tow quickly public opinion had swung round in favour of Me. Hughes's The citizens of. Australia are evidently resolved to keep faith with tho men at the front, to safeguard their own liberties, and do their duty to the Empire, in spito of tho wild ravings of anti-conscriptionist cranks.

• ■'• ' Required.. Obtained. Queensland 834; 208 New South Wales 1867 741 Victoria 1634 . Ki8 South. Australia ... 517 . OS West Australia •.. 384 . 119 Tasmania 184 56 5420 ' '1460