A FRANK ULTIMATUM

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 124, 19 February 1919, Page 8

A FRANK ULTIMATUM

TO THE JUGO-SLAVS

WORK OR TAKE THE CON-

SEQUENCES

The following statement by the Attor-ney-General of the position of the Jugoslav.- lias been submitted to and approved by Cabinet:—

It is quite immaterial whether in fact tho Jugo-Slavs aro opposed to Austria or whether they aro recognised at'the Peace Conference :is a nationality among the nations to dictate terms of peace to Germany and Austria, It. fs quite possible that both Ilicse matters are relied upon by the men as justification for their action, and it is quite possible that both allegations are true. . There is another fact, equally immaterial, and that is that many of them are as much enemies to our ally Italy as they are to Austria.

The material fact is that at tho present moment they me, or were before naturalisation, Austrian subjects, and that until peace is declared that legal condition remains. The second, and equally important, fact is that by reason of their being, or having been, enemy subjects they were all '.'xclmled from liability to military service. But there is no reason Why able-bodied men so excluded firoin military service, and' remaining in New Zealand, should not bo called upon to render national service in New Zealand. Englishmen 'beyond military age, and Englishwomen, throughout tho Eninire, including New Zealand, voluntarily rendered sivjh national •■service. This was fully recognised by Parliament in the Finance Act of the first session of 1918 (Section 25). •

It was under that section thai the regulations- of June 2-1, 1918, were made, for breaches of which somu have been interned and some prosecuted. -The,-Jugo-slavs are employed on exactly the same terms as other Europeans employed on the public works and at the same remuneration. Tlipy are a. lairgo number of ablebodied men, present, and capable of ■employment on public works, at a time when, pur own able-bodied men are still absent from this country. It is necessary to emphasise (a) that the arnristic-p, or the condition of nation's at the Peace Conference, does not in any manner affect the position; and (b) that tho armistice has not yet restored to New Zealand any effective number of its ablebodied men. Therefore, the position still is the same as it was when the Finance Act, 1918, was passed, and the regulations were made, and the absolute need for the national service of (he JugoSlavs to continue _ public works is as existent now us it was before, the armistice. Their grievance is not really that they are designated as ulieii enemies, though they pretend that it is. Their re.a'l grievance is that they are required to render national service because of the country's exigencies, whereas they desiro to make larger profits by work for nrivate individuals, such larger profits being only open to them because of the nrcsnnt scarcity of labour., They are Dentin? not merely the Regulations,, but the Act, which , authorised tlii> Government to exact national service. Those who have been interned as prisoners nf war have been for acts of flagrant defiance, and no concession can ho made to them. If tho Jugo-Slays nnd their familips desire to remain in New Zealand, they must obey New Zealand laws, and must understand that the Government will not nllow.thnin to defy Miatlaw with impunity. Prosecution will follow in every case. If they desire to leave Nsw Zealand, diey have only to give intimation to the Government to that ('fleet. ami their return to the countries of their origin will be facilitated.