RECRUITING IN AUSTRALIA

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3165, 17 August 1917, Page 6

RECRUITING IN AUSTRALIA

VOLUNTARY SYSTEM TO CONTINUE. The Director-General of Recruiting in Australia (Mr. Mackinnon), in an address iof business men. at the Town Hall last week, said that the Prime Minister had clearly indicated that "he was perfectly convinced that in our present circumstances the voluntary system was the best way to pet Tecruits. He would' not say it was the best- way to get recruits 'in all circumstances, but lie was jroing to say that it was the policy of the Government. The circumstances under which Parliament was elected were 6uch as to demand that the Government would realise that there was only the one way it could go, and that way it was

going. ' l Mr. Mackinnon said that nothing could be more definite than that. The main business, he continued, is to get the sto.dy flow of recruits which Generals Haig and Birdwood asked for. . Those who advocated compulsory service torliy are a hindrance to recruiting, and while one cannot but respect .their consistency in advocating a principle, they must realise that they are pushing their principle at the expense of the men who are fighting for us in Franco and elsewhere, in whose interests it was necessary that a steady flow of recruits "honld be 'maintained. While asking them to submerge a principle which they conscientiously uphold, we also ask those who conscientiously believe, in the vo'nntarv effort to come and give this effort their whole-hearted support. . The present position is capable of being expressed in simple figures. To get 700 A a month is not beyond our powers. Last m«nth New Pout. l ! Wales enlisted more than 1900 men, which is about 400 under that State's quota of the 7000. H« felt that Victoria can and will do better than at present. We have been averaging over Australia nearly 5000 men a innnfi vnder most discnuraginir circumstance* for seven months. This contribution can bo easily maintained. Tt is a nuestion whether Australia should be acaTn plunged into a bitter noMtical contest. the issue of which is uncertain. and the, consequences of which is so grave, for the wke of 2000 men r month. These facts, concluded Mr. Ma»kinnon, Bhould crai?e ttibnghvful men to think.