The Dominion. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 19, 1916. THE GREAT ISSUE IN AUSTRALIA

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2906, 19 October 1916, Page 4

The Dominion. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 19, 1916. THE GREAT ISSUE IN AUSTRALIA

"Do you<mean to tell mo you are going to vote • for him V' The inquiry is addressed by an Australian soldier in the front trenches in France to his countrymen in tho Commonwealth. Tho soldier, with a look of amazement in his face—wo are describing a cartoon in a Sydney paper—is pointing to the "him" *n question: it is von Hindenbujig. The picture, and the words beneath, represent an effort to bring home to tho people of Australia one of the main issues to bo decided by the Conscription Referendum on the 28th of this month. Are tliey, as the soldier asks, going to vote for-von Hindenbukg and desert their own countrymen who have already gone to the fropt? For bhflt is what tho refusal to endorse the Commonwealth Government's request for power .to enforce compulsion amounts to. It has proved impossible to'secure anything like sufficient men voluntarily to complete the Reinforcement drafts, and compulsion, or, to quote the words of our leading Australian legislator, "imperishable shame," are the only alternatives. The Referendum issue is being desperately contested.. Hundreds of meetings, for and against conscription have been held, and so strong does feelinpr run that disorder is a common thing. Anti-con-scriptionists are howled down, and' in some cases have been severely handled, while the meetings of Ministers and leading politicians who advocate conscription have also been disturbed by the rowdy elemont amongst _ their opponents. . The papers give columns daily to reports of speeches and letters on the subject, and the leading columns are also freely given up to tho discussion of the great issue. To all appearances thero is a strong and an increasing majority in favour of Australia doing its full duty by its soldiers already at the_ front, and by the Empire on which it must look for a continuance of the freedom and privileges which it enjoys. Every argument advocated by the anti-conscriptionists falls to the ground when subjected to the test which is being applied. "Do you wish to win the war 1" They daro not answer in the negative. And they can show no method by which the men necessary to win can be provided save by conscription. They may quibble and shuffle, and they do this freely enough, but they cannot convince those they would convert by shuffling and quibbling. So it is that though the great issue at times appears to bo clouded bv the heat of the strife, by personalities, and by the introduction of class prejudices and catch-cries, it must be growing clearer to the public that the question they are asked to decide can only be given one answer by fair-minded people who have any regard for the honour and welfare of the country in which their own interests lie.

Two happenings of recent date have had a marked effect in strengthening the cause of the advocates of compulsion. One of these was the disclosure by Senator Peauce of the discovery of papers and documents at Rabaul, the capital of German New Guinea, captured by the Commonwealth Forces, embodying a series of plans which Germany had arranged for striking a blow at Australia. German spies had been sent to Australia, and at the outbreak of the war the Government, through the post offices, intercepted their messages, posted for transmission to Germany. It was not territory in Europe that Germany, wanted,, but

a colonial empire, and she Had cast her eye on Australia. These disclosures have helped to bring home to the peop.le of Australia the fact that .though the war may be fought on distant battlefields, the final outcome is just as important to them as to those who live in the countries more immediately threatened by German aggression. . German victory in Europe, it is seen, would certainly mean German claims to territory in the Pacific. But mora important in their effect on public opinion have been the exposures respecting tho lawless and treasonable actions of the I.W.W. The I.W.W. have been the fiercest opponents ,of the Conscription Referendum. They have sought not morely to defeat the Referendum issue, but to discourage recruiting, and to overthrow authority. _ Some of their leaders aro now on trial on charges of murder, arson, and treason; and at tho court proceedings evidence of a most sensational nature was adduced. One of the most significant features of tho sworn testimony was the disclosure made of German influence at work behind the movement. These Germans wero the underground influence, urging on the anti-conscrip-tionists of >the 1.W.W., probably ■helping with funds supplied by Germany. Was this in the interests of Australia? If Germany does not want Australia to have conscription, then surely it must.be in Australia's interest: to havo it. It is not surprising that the anti-conscription agitation, should bo viewed with increasing suspicion and distaste by all patriotic Australians, when the malign influences which have been at work arc exposed to the light of day. ' The executive of the Political Labour League, which is also opposing conscription and seeking to cast I discredit on its own political leaders who support it, has been at some pains sine© the disclosures mentioned above were made to disclaim any association with the I.W.W. It is quite true, as it states, that tho two organisations havo little, if anything, in common, and, in fact, on many questions are definitely hostile, | but in their common desire to defeat tho Referendum issue they hatts drawn closer together than is now comfortable for the more reputable organisation. Moreover, the taint of tho I.W.W. has .prejudiced tho aati-conscription campaign in the eyes of the public to an extent which should turn many thousands of votes in support of the issue. We. may hope that the poll will not merely mean a victory for patriotic Australia, but a sweeping triumph which will carry % message of oncouragement to the whole Empire.