THE Dominion SATURDAY,, NOVEMBER 3, 1917 AUSTRALIA AND THE VOLUNTARY SYSTEM

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 34, 3 November 1917, Page 6

THE Dominion SATURDAY,, NOVEMBER 3, 1917 AUSTRALIA AND THE VOLUNTARY SYSTEM

I.he startling statement was made by tho Commonwealth Defence Minister.a day or.-two- ago that the cn- ■ listments in -the Australian Forces for the past six months were less than the casualties for a fortnight. Presumably tho fortnight was tho very exceptional one in October when both the Australian and New Zealand Forces suffered heavily; but even so, the Minister's announcement is one to occasion the people of Australia tho gravest concern. Senator Pearce states that the Federal Cabinet will have these figures placed before it, and after considering them will decide on its future policy. This, it imty be assumed, means that the Hughes-Cook Coalition Government finds itself once more faced with the question of conscription, with the shameful alternative of. leaving the men already in the fighting line to carry on the struggle with ' insufficient reserves of reinforcements. Itcccnt happenings in tho Commonwealth have made it abundantly clear that the systeni of voluntaryism has hopelessly broken down. Tho DirectorGeneral of Recruiting publicly stated a -week or -two ago that the total enlistments were, now aggregating only 600 a week, and this in spite of very active recruiting campaigns conducted ■ throughout tho country by special organisations formed for the purpose. A count of the recruiting figures showed that from the beginning of January to the middlo of October 40,000 men had enlisted, whereas at the present rate of 600 ■a week only a littlo more than half that number, .would ho enrolled during, the next nine.months. Seeing that' tho' 40,000 enlisted in the first nine months 'ofrtho year was far below requirements, it .can readily bo seen that even if the present rate is maintained, which is extremely doubtful, the shortage will soon reach such dimensions as will imperil the fighting.efficiency of the existing forces which Australia has in the field. The Commonwealth Defence Minister has declared on many occasions that the. Federal Government would- never agree to the Australian divisions in France being allowed-to fall below their full strength. It is inevitable that at the present rate of recruiting the Australian Forces, if they are kept in the fighting line, must fall below their full strength,_ that is, unless, the .war ends within the next few.-monjihs.,.. .- What-then- is the Federal Government going to do about it? It is admitted ' that the " required monthly quotas of reinforcements cannot bo secured under the voluntary system. The only alternative is conscription, and the Government; is pledged not to introduce conscription without first referring tho matter to the people. Mb. Hughes, in his. declaration of policy at the general elections a few months ago, was very emphatic in stating that tho ■■ Government did not intend to force conscription on the country. It is true that he added that if the national safety' demanded it the question.would bo submitted to the country, but ho. made- it clear that the issue must rest with the people. There are two ways in which the Will of the'people can bo ascertained; The Government could again submit the question by means of a referendum or Ministers could go to-tho country on- a conscription policy. It would seem that the Federal Coalition Cabinet is at last being forced to consider these alternatives as matters of pressing urgency calling for a dofinito decision. Tho Government, it is understood, favours conscription but it cannot, in face of .the previous referendum vote- and -its own pledge,, introduce conscription without risking its existence or agreeing to another referendum. Tho voting at the referendum last year was: v cs 1,083,420 No '. 1.143,633 The majority against conscription was, therefore,-59,202 votes. This majority was"due to the large total cast for.'.'No" in-New South Wales. The voting'in New, South Wales rcsulted- iiu35e,202-for "Yes" and 47-2,705" for "No"? the majority for ..'"No"' '.being'.'.116,4. 98 >, ( or twice the ' number of tho "Nomajority for the whole Commonwealth. Curiously enough, it is from New South. Wales that the first definite movement to force the Government to introduce conscription has now come. A conscription campaign of a' rion-pa-rty nature has now been started there, the method." adopted being to create an organisation -to promote a monster petition to-the Federal Parliament, asking for another ■ referendum on the- question .of- compulsory service. It-is hoped to -secure 'in New South Wales a sufficient number of signatures to this petition to convince the Government that there is a reasonable prospect of reversing the decision recorded in 1916, if oppor-tunity''-is" afforded the people of the Commonwealth to again vote on this issue The question which those promoting tho petition ask should he submitted to the vote of the electors is as follows: — Are you in favour of the Federal Parliament enacting that all Australian ma e citizens between tho ages of 21 and « (both Inclusive) shall he liablo during tlie present war for-military service over-seas-as'vclf as in 'Australia, when called Ufa 'by the Übvernor-General-in-Council, iiilvject to"'the- following conditions •- "(1) Married men (including' widowers with enfUlrcn) not to bo liable until tho siii-'lo men (not cxenipted) have been first called up—married men without children to be liable before married men with children. "(2)' In tho abovo classes tho men to lie divided into yearly.age groups,'ami to 1)0 ailled- up, as required from tnno to time 5v one or more of such groups— not more than threo at a time-beginning with tho youngest and then in succession by fTm next older ago groups. '"(3) Reasonable exemptions (to enable vital industries to be carried on, or to spread the burden of- service fairly) to be provided, for, including, so long as married hien .with children are not called nil, .(a) single men who are sole 6iipport uf. dependants, (b) one-hall, or, in the caso of an uneven number, the minority of.tho sons of ft family where any have already enlisted; but so that in vital industries men liablo for servico shall not he exempted as long as other persons not liablo at tho time to servico aro available to do their work; and so that no distinction ho mado. between those enga,red in Government service and those in° jion-Government employment" ? And if tho answer is in the affirmative, that tho wish of tho electors may be given effect to by tho necessary legislation.

This movement has excited a gooil dciil of interest in the Commonwealth, and opinion is divided as to whether it is likely to prove of any practical value in influencing Ministerial action. The idea appears to be widely hold that the

Federal Government, fared with tho plain fnot. of the breakdown'of the voluntary system and forced to recognise the changes iirtlie war situation due. to the collapse of Russia, cannot much longer defer a definite decision on tho question of conscrin-, tion. Since the previous referendum the United Males and Canada have decided for compulsory service, and-it is-elaiined that this will strengthen the hands of tlw Government, and no doubt the disaster on the Italian front will _be another strong factor in assisting Mn. Hughes and his colleagues to make, up their minds. What tho outcome of another referendum would l)e no one pretends to_ say with any confidence; though" it is claimed on a number of stated grounds that there has been a big change of opinion on the'question since the last vole was taken. But should the, Government adopt tho course of abandoning the referendum method of deciding the matter and go to the country on a straightout conscription issue, then it is considered it would have an excellent prospect of iscccss. Probably we shall have "definite news of the Government's intentions within the next week or two, for it is plain that matters arc going from bad to worse under the voluntary system, and that Ministers can no longer shirk the fact and all that it means.