The Dominion THURSDAY, APRIL 26, 1917, A WEAK SPOT AND ITS LESSON

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3063, 26 April 1917, Page 4

The Dominion THURSDAY, APRIL 26, 1917, A WEAK SPOT AND ITS LESSON

In the midst of the great ofiensive on the Western front, when the ■British and Fronch forces are smashing through the Qerman defences, carrying consternation to the enemy and sheering his morale, the Austrian diviaion has had to be withdrawn from tho fighting line for, W ant of reinforcements, u 1 | I ™Q.one weak spot disclosed in the battle Jino on the West a t. this intensely irdportant stage o£ the great offensive. So far as we know no shortage in the reinforcement drafts Bent from Britain and from other parts of the Empire has up to tho present time compelled tho. Gommander-in-Ghief in iPrance to withdraw any section of his tr/<jbps from tho fighting' iine. It is true that from time to time- different divisions which have borne the brunt of heavy fighting have 'been withdrawn for periods of rest and in order to replace casualties in their ranks; but the men were available to fill the gaps. .With the Australians it is different. Tho men at the front have'acquitted themselves magnificently. Their fighting qualities have won the admiration of the whole army, from Sir Douglas Haig downwards. In attack there are no more dashing, devil-may-care fighters in tho world than the Australian troops in France. But their countrymen,, under the voluntary system, rhave failed to support them. As was predicted at the time 'of the conscription referendum in the Commonwealth, the voluntary system has failed to produce the men required to maintain Australia's forces in the field at their full strength. The gallant fellows in Franco have in consequence had a heavier burden thrown on them than would have been necessary had the reinforcements been sent fbrward to their relief and assistance a 9 promised and as Australia was in honour bound to do. But when the people of the Commonwealth under the malign influence of I.W.W. agitators and the misguided section of the Political Labour Party voted "No" on the conscription issue, they, threw their honourable obligations to tho winds so far as maintaining the supply of reinforcements was concerned. Everyone knew that the requisite number could not be secured under the voluntary system. It was, bej cause the voluntary system had already failed that the proposal to introduce conscription was brought forward.,. Tnere can be no excuse, for the advocates of "Noconscription," whatever excuse may be found for those "who' believed their arguments and assertions and voted "No" in the belief that Australia, could do her duty to her soldiers at tho front and to the Empire without conscription. Now that time has shown the folly of the anti-conscriptionist advocacy ; now that Australian troops at this critical juncture have had to be withdrawn from tho fighting line for lack of the promised reinforcements; the lesson may Lβ brought home to the people of the Commonwealth with an emphasis that should impress and convert many who were List year led to cast their votes against conscription. What would be the feeling in Australia to-day if it were announced that Britain and France for lack of reinforcements could , not maintain their forces in tho fighting line at the requisite fighting strength? And what would the people of Australia think of the,people of France • and Britain if the reason for this failure were- not a shortage of eligible men but a refusal on their part to face their obligations to fight for _ the liberties and privileges they enjoy? If tho rest of the British Empire acted as tho majority of the people of Australia acted, then Germany would overrun the world, and Australia would in all probability find itself subjected to a lasting tyranny beside which the obligation of compulsory service in a time of national crisis would be an agreeable incident. In saying this we would wish to again emphasise our admiration and tho admiration of all who have seen or road

of the splendid achievements of tho Australian soldiers and .sailors Vno have responded to (jhe call of honour and >of duty. There ft fj| ['hundreds of thousands °t Ausfci-a- ! lian citizens, too, who tbtetl ■"Yes" on the referendum, tesne M\o must bo credited, with si .proper apprecia- ! tiOb 4f what this strugglo means to their country, and of the duties of citizenship in the hour of national peril. Bttfc tho majority of the people of Australia decided on a course which, if adopted by tho other parts of the Empire, wouid have meant the triumph Germany and the subjection of the whole world to the domination of - Prussianism, Whether Australia will profit by this experience yet remiuhs to be seen. It may be that [; the feeling of the people will be reflirtAed in the coming Federal election polls and that Mr. Htjghes ; and the National Ministry will be ; returned to office with so omphatic a mandate that the.v will be justified in again submitting the eonsoription issue to the vote o£ the ' country. But whatever may be the outcome , in the Commonwealth, the lesson will not be lost on the people of this Dominion. Tho vofttntafy system has produced a weak spot in the fighting line so far as Australia's part in the struggle is concerned. The shortage of men has told its tale on' the Australian unit in France. Every patriotic New .Zealander to-day must realise more forcibly than ever tefore tho wisdom as well as -the justice of the decision of. tho Parliament of this pominiQji in determining to ensure oy tlje only fair, means available thit our forces in the fighting line -shall not fall below the required strength. Had the anti-conscrip-tionists had their way we, .too,, like . Australia,, might to-day have found i ourselves in the unhappy and un- [ enviable position of having failed . in our obligation to the men in i Prance and in the full performance of our pledge to the Motherland to ' maintain, our forces in the field at I their full strength.