AUSTRALIA ON TRIAL

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 49, 21 November 1917, Page 4

AUSTRALIA ON TRIAL

It is plain that the people of tho Commonwealth are deeply stirred over the question of the second referendum on the conscription issue. Tho newspapers to hand by tho last mail clearly indicate that thero will again be a desperate struggle on the issue submitted by the Federal Government, and whilo opinion is strongly divided as to the final outcome the. prospect' of : tho "Yes" vote being in the majority is hopefully anticipated. Thero are certain facts which lend support to this view. In t-lw first place tho issue itself has been made more attractive by a somewhat drastic limitation of the form of conscription to be enforced. Liberal exemptions have been provided for. Then recent events in the main, theatres of war have made a deep impression -and havo served to emphasiso tho magnitude of the task ahoad and the added responsibility that rests on all parts of the Empire- to assist to the utmost of their power to overthrow an enemy who has proved even more powerful than was expected. A further factor making for tho success of the "Yes" vote is the decision to exclude the votes of "every naturalised British subject who was born in an enemy country and every person whose father was born in an enemy country." It is estimated that something like 100,000 persons liable to havo enemy sympathies will be debarred from voting under this provision. The main difficulties which confront the Federal Government are frankly stated by the Melbourne Age:

It has to bo remombored, this paper states, that for upwards of a year numerous dark forces have, been busily and mo3t unscrupulously at work exploiting the eolf-iiidulgont instincts of the people by ondeavouring to make the people bolievo that no obligation rests on any man to risk hie life in the sor-

vice of his country. . . . Tho outstanding and most immediately important problem that confronts Mr. Hughes and his colleagues is the problem of procuring tho nnti-conscriptionist mass of electors to consider the caso for conscription fairly and frankly on its moritg. . . . Australia is divided today by a cruel clash of intelligent nnd unintelligent opinions. Many thousands of loyal citizens aro standing at the cross-roads of doubt—uncertain whero to bond their 6teps. They are in no mood at the moment to judge the (juestion of conscription calmly and judicially. Somo aro terrified by tno disasters nnd debacles in Europe; somo aro more terrified Btill by the idea of change at homo. All are feverishly asking themselves: Is conscription really necessary hero? The demagogues say "No," the Government eays Yes." Tho undecided mass swings hositant. It wants a sign.

And the sign needed, it is claimed, is a clear, strong proof from the Government of its sincoro and vital conviction, an absolute demonstration, that they urgo the people, to embrace self-discipline utterly believe that nothing else will make Australia safe. The only way to carry such conviction to the mass of the people in doubt as to tho necessity for conscription is, the Age thinks, for the Government to stake its existence on the result of the referendum vote. This the Government apparently is now prepared to do. The last referendum was defeated by the vote of New South Wales, and much depends on the present occasion on the attitado of tne Government of that State. Mb. Holman, the Premier, who has ■just returned from a visit to England, is fully alive to tho urgency of the call for reinforcements for the Australian Forces in the field. At latest advices Mb. Holman and tho majority of his Cabinet had decided to actively support tho Federal Government in tho conscription campaign. This is expected to have an important effect in strengthening tne Now South Wales vote in support of tho issue, and on that vote the final result will probably turn.