The Chronicle PUBLISHED DAILY. LEVIN. TUESDAY, AUGUST 10, 1915. COMPULSORY MILITARY SERVICE

Horowhenua Chronicle, 10 August 1915, Page 2

The Chronicle PUBLISHED DAILY. LEVIN. TUESDAY, AUGUST 10, 1915. COMPULSORY MILITARY SERVICE

The fusion of the Conservative aud Liberal Parties oi Ureal Britain and Ireland lias had a marked efi'cot upon the views of ihu Liberal leaders nut least one respect; they are seriously considering- the advisablonesis ut adopting coMoription lor the Army. The term conscrpition is iiised advieictiJy ; tho talk is jiot oi the more unjust system of compiisory military service for all classes. The failure of the Liberal 'to discriminate fairly between those two alternatives is regrettable; but even conscription is preferable to t':«; iinlair principle of voluntary scr vice that has been a plank in the Liberal platform for su long a period. li» these islands there is no cleavage ol the chief political parlies on thin point, but the Liberals ol the Mother -Joiin try have long insisted upon treating the matter as one of crucial political party importance. To our mind it is> absurd that leaders oi a. progressive party should prove so blind to the uni'aiinesM of the voluntary system in *.) lar as its incidence us concerned. Alter the comparatively feu , pai.no:, volunteers, nlio iorm tile bulk ji Gieat Britain's volunteers lor active ■service i - il'he uneuiployed! Let any doubter read the latest newspaper to hand from London, and note therein the odd indications of how recruiting goes on successfully and persistently at the hiring fairs. The bucolic labourer who linds his services not needed naturally becomes inclined to escape from present poverty by enlisting as a soldier, and the tving's shilling is taken by him, partly at least, lor this reason. Not a lew in our own country have been swayed by similar reasons, though we would be tl e last to discount in any degree the higher motives that have actuated a large part of the New Zealand 'Soldiers now on active service to .sacrifice worldly advantages and comforts at tl);.' call of duty txj the Empire, let stiil the observer of all aspects -n tho case sees its unfair aspects and realises that from various motives, reasonable and otherwise, the duty of .serving as soldiers is evaded. Even under compulsory liability to serve there •would remain the problem of selection ol regiments, but that could be '.-oped with elliciently by levying in fail , proportion upon each district, aud the ascertainment by ballot oi which of any two regiments in one district should be called up lirst. The other problems that would arise could be dealt with reasonably by the Government and its administrators whenever they arose. "Whether the time is ripe for adoption of this process in New Zealand '.s another matter, but in equity at least it would be a. fairer way .than the one wn now pursue. So far as the urgent need for volunteers goes, we have an idea that the impression that there is immediate urgency for the despatch ol New Zealand volunteers to the front is not well founded, and the latest lile of the London Times ,which lie.s before His, is our justification for the ;tatcnient. When the present shortage of munitions for the AJlies is remedied i the case will be different, but at present the needs seems to be more for the drilling and training in camp duties'

of future soldiers than tor the f-peedy embarkation of troops only partly trained. The men already in camp at Trentham -well might be held tor the extra months necessary to ensure a degree of training that would make them physically and technically ready in the highest degree tor the actual rack and nerve-strain of enduring warfare, rather than that they -should hi sent forward as miniatured soldiers to-lill a supposedly urgent need for more men at the front. The speech of the Hon. D. Lloyd-bieorge, delivered to ITie Manchester engineers only eight weeks ago, is a clear indication that the Allies' present lack still is munitions, and not men, though assuredly they will need the men when the shortage of munitions becomes •einedied. Touching upon tile victory ol the Germans over the .Russians in May and June, the lion. D. Lloyd Georgj instanced the iiiing of < 00,000 slielU over the heads of the .Russians by Uerlnans in a .single day. The capacity to fire shells at feiiat rate was what Great Britain needed liel'H'e eho could drive back the Germans irom the western front. The British workshops '-oukl win this war for us, and Llie workshops alone. Tho French had gallant men ; th- Russians had overwhelming masses of men. No doubt Great Britain would want more men; they would come to the call. But they wanted the workshops to e<|iiip them with tho weapons; with the power to break their way through and shatter tins cruel military despotism to the dust. . . . The young men of the

nation had volunteered in sufficient numbers; they were still coming in : their...numbers were well ahead of the equipment for them.