NATIONAL SERVICE

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 137, 7 December 1938, Page 13

NATIONAL SERVICE

BRITISH PROPOSALS

WHY COMPULSORY REGISTER IS OPPOSED

DEBATE IN COMMONS

<British Official Wireless.)

(Received.December 7, 10.50 a.m.)

RUGBY, December 6. The Lord Privy Seal, Sir John Anderson, opened the debate in the House of Commons, on the Government's proposals for national service. He said he hoped that the distribution of the handbook to all households would be far advanced by the third week in January. The object of the book was to make clear to the public the various forms of national service that they could undertake. Local national service committees! would be constituted on a widely > representative basis. Sir John em-! phasised that these committees would not have any of the functions of a, recruiting authority. 1 He went on to deal with the questions of the training of volunteers in the A.R.P. services and the necessary equipment for that purpose. Training in certain cases would be obligatory. The national register itself would be in a number of parts, including records prepared by various recruiting authorities and a special register of persons possessing exceptional professional or technical qualifications. -.■■•■ Sir John also described the machinery he was setting up to facilitate the compilation of a complete national register, if that should ever become necessary in time of emergency. IMPRESSING FOREIGNERS. After speaking' on the difficulties -of keeping a compulsory national register up to date in the absence of compulsory national service and except in time, of emergency, the Lord Privy Seal referred to an argument now often urged in support of having a compulsory register, namely, that it would be a bold measure which would

impress foreign opinion. On this he said he believed those who constituted foreign Governments were not fools, and it would be quite apparent to them that there would be an element of make-believe in any such measures. Instead of being impressed, they might conclude that it was only being done because the British Government could think of nothing better to do.

As to those at home who advocated a compulsory register; he thought there was confusion in their minds and that they really intended some form of compulsory service.

It was very doubtful what compulsion now could achieve. Even in time of war there was no sharp antithesis between the voluntary principle and compulsion. Compulsion, for example, was of little use in yetting people for jobs requiring judgment, initiative, and discretion. The number of important jobs of. that character had greatly increased under modern conditions.

MORE INFORMATION WANTED.

Mr. Arthur Greenwood, speaking for the Labour Opposition, asked for further information regarding forms of voluntary service, regarding which Sir John Anderson had announced last week that he proposed to introduce some form of contractual undertaking. He also expressed the view that Labour would want more information regarding industrial aspects of the scheme. They would pant to safeguard against victimisation and the use of the new organisation against trade unions. Mr. Greenwood argued that when calls for service were being made on men and women there might be proper organisation of the national resources such as would absorb in productive employment large numbers who were now involuntarily idle. He referred also to profiteering.

Sir Percy Harris, on behalf of the Liberals, congratulated Sir John Anderson on building his scheme on the sure foundations of the voluntary principle, but Mr. L. C M. S. Amery (Conservative), who followed, expressed disappointment. He thought the proposals showed little realisation of the terrible peril which confronted them.

To afford an opportunity for wide discussion, two days have been allocated to the debate, and a division will not be taken until the- end of the second day.