AUSTRALIA HANGS BACK

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2916, 31 October 1916, Page 6

AUSTRALIA HANGS BACK

THE CONSCRIPTION REFERENDUM

DISAPPOINTMENT AND SURPRISE

HON. JAMES ALLEN'S VIEW

It is perhaps not possible to gauge with any certainty yet tho general ■leeling hero about tho conscription roforenanm in Australia, but certainly to the majority of people chos'on at random in the course of general inquiries made on the subject tho result' has occasioned a shock of pained surpriso, and many express keen disappointment. Labour men aro divided iii their opinions. Those who have always been avowed anti-conscription-ists are happy, but there aro very ,hiany Labour men who are not antfconsoriptionists, and they are concerned about the result, not only as affect ihg Tho Empiro, but as affecting the Labour cause. They fear that tho vote on tho conscription m 'Australia may ( be a serious blow to Labour in politics in Australasia, and even to democracy.

f : | The Defence Minister (the Hon. J. 'Allen) "was unwilling to make, more : ' than a few remarks on the subject in view of the fact that the returns were •still incomplete, but it was clear that | he regarded tho conscription cause in 'Australia as lost. "The people of .:• 'Australia," ho said, "have decided '■■■ t against conscription. It seems to mo Jiowthatthoreoreonlytwothings that , r " they can do—either they must find -the - men somehow, under tho voluntary principle, however thoy can, or else they must let their units at the front de- ,-,;-; ;crease in strength. If they do not -find the.men, Australia will sacrifice a : great deal of what her forces have gained for her. Ono can't ;•.'. .that the country will refuse to support tho men who Eavo gone, men who have : ,mado suoh big sacrifices, who' have done so well in the war, who such a. great name for Australia." A Complete Surprise. ' "I was really surprised when I saw the referendum figures in this morn- • inc's paper," 6aid Mr. BertEoyle representative for J: C. Williamson, Ltd., who has been in Australia for the past > Jnonth. "Everyone I came in touch i\; with in Sj-dney and Melbourne were '.' ': 'yes' people, and, really, I did not personally encounter the 'no' element. I ,-' fiame away from Sydney believing that , there would be a large majority voto iin favour of 'yes.' It is difficult to ■account for the voting, -unless a largo proportion of those people who would :' : ! ■certainly vote 'yes' failed to go to the poll at all. Another thin;; that I .thought would weaken tho 'no' vote was the, report_ that went round that all : : men military age who had not regis- ! tho National Register were : ' to be nabbed at tho polling booths on [Referendum Day. ;;>.., "I only attended one meeting at which the question was referred to," said Mr. Eoyle. • "That was when the . theatrical aud picture-show managers ■''': and proprietors met at His Majesty's : V ''-; Theatre in Sydney to consider the qu'es- :■'"■■/' tion of firing Hughes's 'bullets.' .His ; 'bullets' were kinematograph pictures, .part tableau, ,part story, with some well-put lines in hetween, which the - managers were asked to show each 'evening all' over Australia. Mr. Hughes' • was at the meeting, and he made a : tuost wonderful speech—ono of the best , I have ever heard, and the result was that the meeting decided to carry out the suggestion by showing .-the picture during the interval in every ;..' 'theatre in the country. One of the ■ ; : Bcenes was a section of a front-line '../■ trench, with the boyß at work, and p/ underneath were the words, 'They're eooee-ihg to you!' And at another time : the screen would announce—'The best \ Iway to back Anzacs is to send more . JAhzacsl' Pictures of the Kaiser and Crown Prince wore shown, and underaeath'was written—'These are pictures jof the. men who want you to voto " ;, .No!"' Tho reverse argument Bsed when pictures of King George, • .General Haig, Lord Kitchener, and ':'."■".',jjellicoo were shown. I don't .. think I ever heard' a dissentient voice .-'■'. to all this, so must conclude that the '■■ peoplo who vote 'No' aro not,'perhaps, [ .' ■ those who go to the theatre. \ ■ -. /'The peoplo appear to be a straight-out criminal _ organisation of the 'Black Hand' variety," said Mr. ;.""■ Royle. "Did you hear what they did up-country ? There were Beveral thou- | . -Band tons of wheat lying stacked at ;' ■!■ '.'some country railway station, and they ; . ■ deliberately went and fired it in several ; places. Ae wheat is flour, and flour is !'-... . oread, it shows that the organisation ;.._.'.. has no thought of tho people's food. As tho result of the many fires in • "'■:.-, ■; (Sydney extra armed nigh'twatchmen ; tad guards are being employed to protect property."