Manawatu Herald. THURSADY, DECEMB, 21, 1916. NOT CONSCRPTION.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 1653, 21 December 1916, Page 2

Manawatu Herald. THURSADY, DECEMB, 21, 1916. NOT CONSCRPTION.

TUB Defence Minister, the lion. .1. Allen, emphasises a point that is overlooked by those men who wish to repeal (he Military Serviee Ac). The Act is not a Conscription Act, as understood in (lie Continental sense. The ballot is not used for any district whieh supplies its quota, of men voluntarily. The men of some districts have not been included in either the lirst or second ballot because a sullicicnt number of them have volunteered for service. Conscription only comes into force when voluntarism fails. If (hose who are anti-conseriptionists were ardent advocates of volunteering there might not be any need of a. ballot. “Kind us the men on the voluntary principle," says Mr Allen, “and there will be no compulsion. 1 want that point driven home. Let (hem .find the men, and nobody will be compelled. But if they don't find the men under the voluntary principle it is not our fault if compulsion is brought in. It is theirs. There is no compulsion unless the people themselves impose it upon themselves. The Act is there, but it is inoperative until (he people impose it upon themselves by not linding the men voluntarily.’’ The trouble with anti-conscriptionists is that they are also against volunteering 1 . They are against serving at all, at a time when, if we will not light, we must succumb to the most brutal and unscrupulous enemy Unworld has ever seen. With such an alternative (here is nothing to Indone but the fair thing of compelling the would-be shirkers to ‘toe the mark’ with the willing ones."