TO AVOID PRUSSIAN RULE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 1631, 31 October 1916, Page 3

TO AVOID PRUSSIAN RULE.

PERTINENT CRITICISM BY A LABOUR LEADER. Mr W. A. Veil eh, Labour M.P.. writes as follows to the Wellington Post: — A manifesto has been issued to the workers of Australia urging them to vote against the compulsory military service proposals submitted to a referendum of the electors of the Commonwealth. It is signed by some twelve or fourteen persons who presume to speak on behalf of the wage-earners of New Zealand. They do not, however, even suggest what will he the duty or position of the Australian worker if Australia fails to support the Mother Country adequately. I am afraid the authors of the manifesto have overlooked the all-important fact that the Allies are at present straining- every nerve to prevent a German Conscript Army from securing control of the world and imposing the Kaiser's will on ns (not by argument, but by force, which cannot he .successfully combatted by argument, be it ever so convincing), and that if the Allies should fail to sustain that effort New Zealand and Australia must become German dependencies, and as such become subject, to the Kaiser's conscript military system. Many of us do not like

conscription, hut we :ive not prepared to sacrifice the entire nation rather than submit to it. More especially we know that such sacrifice must necessarily involve us in a worse form of conscription. How can it he denied that if Australia, and New Zealand should fail to adequately support the Mother Country, such failure would he of moral and material assistance to our enemy ’ The statement is made in the manifesto that the organised workers of New Zealand are opposed to conscription. I deny that they are opposed to the Military Service Act of last session. I am convinced that a la rue majority of New Zealand wage-earners approve of the Act because it will deal with all alike regardless of social status. The manifesto states that “Conscription is the negation of liberty.” This word liberty is much misused. In view of all the circumstances at present, conscription is, in my judgment, the only weapon available to ns to defend our liberty, and whether we like it or not we must swallow the pill or die. Belter death than German rule. I (irmly believe that what most of our anti-military people are agitating for is liberty to stay at home while others defend them and their liberty, those others being at the same time handicapped for want of their physical support, to which they are in common fairness entitled. AA'e are in this war because we were not prepared for it. Had wo listened to Lord Roberts and made adequate preparation, the Kaiser would probably have been afraid to start. This must not occur again. The real issue is not

conscription versus voluntnrism, which is only nendemic. ]| is slmll we have compulsory national organisation for national defence (principally for the purpose of: obviating permanent conscription), or continue a voluntary system which is both inequitable and inadequate 1 ? Another statement in the manifesto is that- ‘‘Conscription is the strong weapon of capitalism.'’ As we see it now il is the strong weapon of national organisation, which is being used by the Kaiser in his damnable attempt to enslave the entire world, and if we persist in trying to meet it with I he weaker though more palatable weapon of voluntaryism, we shall go down before the Kaiser’s hordes and become his conscripts. Why should the sacred duty of national defence he performed exclusively by those who arc conscientious enough to take up the burden voluntarily, while equally able men who shirk or fail to realise their clear duty remain at home and profit by the volunteers' sacrifice? Citizens' rights and privileges involve national responsibilities. Too many married men and under-aged youths go to the front under (lie voluntary system, while under a properly organised system only those who ought to go will he sent. After all it is yot so much a matter of forcing men to go—for very few need forcing —hut a system by which each man will bo told when his turn has come. Our first duly is to the soldiers in the trenches, and their greatest desire and need is more men to support them. ]t is particularly unfortunate tor Labour in New Zealand that tin's disloyal manifesto lias been issued in their name, for if ever met! played the game the New Zealand wage-earner has in this great struggle for liberty. If our forefathers had argued for liberty instead of lighting for it when the necessity arose, they would never have possessed it to hand down to us. The truth is that some men are presuming to speak on behalf of Labour, and the sooner that fact is recognised the better. Labour is entitled to a much stronger representation in Parliament than it possesses just now, and the chief reason for our failure to secure it is that these academic pacifists have •shaken the public faith in us and created a fear that we would not act in the interests of the country if wo should secure our fair quota in Parliament. So far we have not failed for want of ideals but through lack of good hard common-sense. If we are to take our proper place in the councils of the nation we must prove ourselves worthy of the trust by placing the Empire’s interests first instead of acting as if our first duty is to the shirker.