AUSTRALIA AND CONSCRIPTION

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3114, 19 June 1917, Page 7

AUSTRALIA AND CONSCRIPTION

REFERENDUM DISCUSSIONS AND

OPINIONS

THE POSITION TO-DAY

liiidci. u i Melbourne, June S. f ,; tho vo '" nla ' - y recruiting system iNTftho "Argus") Australia is not meeting Uc demands" made upon Her ior war service abroad. Whilo the conscription campaign was in progress, it was arqued by those who were opposed to compulsory enlistment that " tnc efforts towards securing meu voluntarily had not been iully devolopcfl-that, in fact, if proper moans were adopted, the men would be obtained. Endeavours which havo'sinco been .specially directed to meet requirements have not been successful, whilo the labour put into tho work has been considerable. Theso circumstances nre causing iul'd ami women to again turn thciv nttoution to llio adoption of conscription as tho only reasonable means by which the Australian forces can be maintained at their full lighting strength. ' ! Wherever ouc may go, the probability « conscription beiu'g introduced is iiis- ■ cussed. The conviction is held that should another referendum bo taken it would result in a largo general affirmative vote. .Among a fairly numerous section of Ihe community trie hopo is entertained that the. Ministry will adopt conscription by regulation. But this will not bo done. Tho Prime ' Minister (Afr. Hughes) was cinpusitic on the question when speaking itt Benalla. on April 26. Ho then eaid that the.Ministry would not, ' by statulo or regulation, enforce conscrip. lion during tho life of tho forthcoming ■!"ffrliamont. He further said that no pretext or ready excuse would bo found ior. again putting a referendum before tho electors, but that it would bo dono ■ °. nl;> " if . L . he "agonal (safety demanded.it. on William Irvine, who maintained in his; election speeches that conscription was .now moro necessary than ever, «nd I hat tho pcorilo should bo again appealed U> as soon as possible, was strongly of opinion that .it should not on brought in behind tho bacis of tho electors. Tho question having been referred (o the people and the negativo answer having been jjiven, no I'arlinmcut could bring ill conacriplion without referring it to tho people. Ho contended that it should bo ono of the first duties of the now Parliamont -to -seek the opinion of the peoplo on. conscription. Tlio question is now being discussed whether national safety does not demand that a second referendum shall bo taken on conscriplion for active service. A few (days ago tho Postmaster-General (Mr. Webster), in addressing an open-air meeting , in the city, pointed out that the recruiting.numbers were inadequate. There was a despnirinr (ono in his npeech, in which bo indicate! that if Australia were no dead to nor responsibilities as not lo mipply (he men needed Ihey would 'have to bo obtained in another way. Speaking/at Perth on Tuesday, Ihe Colonial Secretary (Mr. Colebatch) declared that the voluntary recruiting system had absolutely l.rokoii down. He contended that the result of the Federal elections was a. clear instruction to the Commonwealth Government to adopt compuloorv pervico. Jfr. G. H. Wise, tho former chairman of the Victorian "Recruiting Committee, has stated tha.t it wonld not surprise him if the conscription referendum -were aga-in 'submitted to the peoplo before the end of the year, and that the "eligibles" were oalled up under the Defence Act, as was done previously. • From the Creswicli, Nunawading, a.D,d tho Lakes Entrance -Recruiting Committees hare been issued 'proposals that action should be ta.ken in Parliament to have another popular vote pn the adoption of conscription. Thcjs ere regarded as the feelings of recruiting committees generallv. The fiction of the United States in adopting conscription has had b. marked effect in hardening the opinion in favour of the acceptance of the principle here. A large number of people, too, who formerly opposed conscription have been influenced by this decision. They feel thai

is an ignominious position, for Australia, to stand .out from, the complete fulfilment, of her obligations when a nation thet has hitherto Temained , neutral has enteral the list of corohataats against Germany, and is calling up its manhood for. compulsory service. The Canadian Cabinet's decision to introdnoe conscription ie also influencing piiblio opinion in Australia- 'towards the adoption of the system. Those who aro contemplating tho introduction of a Conscription Rcfcr T endum Bill early into tho federal Parliament on its reassembling contend that the circumstances justify such, a. course. National. sa.fety, they assert, demands that it is of paramount importance that Australia should jnow put forth its eiipremo strength. Tt is pointed out that this has been rendered very necessary owing to tho inactivity of Eur-sia- on the Eastern front, whioh has enabled Germany to strengthen her army on. tho Western front and to relievo the strain upon Austria.. . Judging by what bafi taken placo lately tho leaders in the Labour Party who opposed..tho conscription referendum .are certain to 'endeavour to defeat a second attempt. By an overwhelming majority the Political Labour League of Now South Wales, which is now holding its annual conference, has decided that everything should bo in readiness "to call together a. conference representative of all bodioa opposed to conscription the moment any move is made by the Commonwealth to introduce conscription by oxecutivo action, legislative enactment, or by another referendum-of the people." Mr. ,B. J. Hollowav, tho president of tho Australian Labour "Federation, in a speech last Sunday at the Gaiety Theatre, expressed apprehension that by 6ome means 't was proposed to havo conscription put into rorce. Assuming that this iros done, ho advised tho use of drastic means, whatever that inay indioate, to opposo it. In other directions the opponents of conscription are relentlessly pursuing with expulsion from unions and Labour organisation branches those who bavo consoi«ntioi)sly differed from them. 'Notwithstanding tho continued hostility of the leadors of tho Caucus party, thero is abundant evidence that their eway ovor a largo number- of their followers lias ended. Tt ie believed that a considerable swing over to conscription -would tato placo were unother referendum held. Conscription Must Come. That conscription must, and will, come toon was the opinion expressed, by Sir William Irvine in tho courso of a forciblo -speech , on tho occasion of tho declaration of tho poll for the Flinders electorate. Ho said emphatically tfaat the. crisis justifying another referendum was already rcacloL and expressed tho belief that an affirmative vote would be recorded if the Government wero to raako conscription essential to its own existence. There was a fair eatherinp present ivhen Mr. Field, returning officer, declared the poll. The figures were as follow: — Sir W. H. Irvine 19.33S Mr. D. P. B-ussell 12,322 Informal 762 The announcement of tho figures was Kicoted with cueoia. Sir William Irvine, in moving a vote of thanks to tho returning officer, referred to the fact that his own majority liiid been increased from about 1400 to 7000. Ho said thnt in that electorate this election had been fought upon one issue (inly—that of compulsory enlistment for service overseas. Thousands of men and women who did not aprree with him on many ordinary political subject*) had given him thnir full trust, and he felt lhatihe would, i be falso to that trust if lie allowed himself to go to sleep in thematter. (ffrar, hear.) Ho felt it to bo his impcrut.ivo dutv to uso tho position in. which he had bnon placod, and all th'r energies ho possessed, to lirintt into law and force tho only system that could enable Australia to' lake her placo with I Tin rest of Hi" Allies who wore (iphtins' l.bis war. Tlicr id I knew (.lie difficult position in which Uir> floTcmmont wa.s placed. The Prime Minister had cnlcrwl into an oblisjntion, or promise, that lir would not asrnili submit the FiiVioct .if eoiißnriwtion to (ho people until Ihe liiln had Inrnnc] sica-inst us. rie was not "oinc to crificiso that stalcmpiil. But lif said, without- hnsiljil.iou. thai: the mndiljon which the Prinio Minister thus iii>nos«l upon thr, briusinp; of rainKcrin(ir.ii apain before the rcopln bad already been moTS than salisficd by what; had taken plaw sincn th" Priino Ministir nifldn it. (Hoar. Hear.) Whim ho niado hia statement the Allies ttoto carrjinp

on a triumphant campaign on Iho Western front. Russia was expected (o deal a series of blows on tho Eastern front. Ao«- Jtnssia was as they saw; All they knew was that iluriim this campaicn Bho could not tako the part sho would liavo taken, and hundreds of thousnnds of German soldiers had been transferred from the/Eastern front to stay our i>roeress on the West because of this defect of Russia. The same fiiiluro had thrown into serious jeopardy tho British Indian army that occupied Bagdad. Thus the condition which Mr. Hughes, riijlir.lv or wrongly, attached to tho submission of tho question of conscription to tho peol>lo had already been fulfilled, \ustri--1 la. must not lose licr place in the EnilHio. She, must do her duty. Tie, had no hesitation in sa.vinu that conscription must como, and would como, and Uio sooner it came tho better. (Rear, hear.)