The Daily News. SATURDAY, APRIL 22, 1016. THE CONSCRIPTION PROBLEM.

Taranaki Daily News, 22 April 1916, Page 4

The Daily News. SATURDAY, APRIL 22, 1016. THE CONSCRIPTION PROBLEM.

The British Cabinet lias so far been able to solve the problem of compulsory service, and Parliament lias been adjourned until Tuesday next in.order to give futher time for the possible adjustment of differences so that the Government may present a united front on this burning question. The position at present is that Mr. Lloyd George insists on meeting the emergency now. Mr. Hender- ; son and others desire that Parliament should wait until the contingency arises, others are averse to compulsion altogether, arcd while so»e advocate a further trial of the efforts to obtain men by voluntary enlistment, there is a strong section which insists on conscription straight away. The process of arriving at an amiable agreement is beset with difficulties, yet it is imperative that the ; needs of the Army must be met. It may be that no satisfactory compromise can be evolved, and in that case the re- . construction of the Cabinet would be inevitable. In view of the gravity of the situation and the encouraging effect a Ministerial upheaval would produce on Germany, no efforts should be spared—nor is it likely they will be—to settle the queetion in the one and only -way that the situation demands, by instituting general compulsory enlistment. Apart from the winning of the war, loyalty to our Allies demands that Britain should make equal manhood sacrifices to theirs. .Already she has undertaken the greater part of the burden of the war, and the Dominions' properity is now entirely due to the protection afforded by the British Navy to the overseas commerce, and the British taxpayers are being weighted with a daily expenditure of five millions. The Dominions have fully recognised that the Motherland's quarrel , is theirs, and the fate of the one must ! be the fate of the others. Hence the ' call to the Dominions is as insistent as ' it is to the Motherland. What, then, • is their plain and manifest duty in face ' of the urgent need for more men? Clear- I ly it is to offer more instead of send- ' ing a smaller number, and there can be no doubt that such offers would be t promptly and gratefully accepted. As i w* have already shown, Britain has al- '' ready sent a much larger proportion of ' men to the front (on a population basis) \ than the Dominions, and it must be re- \ numbered that she is compelled to re- * tain a numerous army of civilian work- \ ers for the manufacture of munitions ' .and other war equipments. There can t bo no question of any of the Dominions f doing more than their share, but the * crux of the matter is whether they are \ doing as much as they possibly can to f defend the Empire from Teuton aggres- r. sion. Unfortunately, w* are bound to s

Unfortunately, we arc bound to say that there is room and to spare for further efforts, and yet 'a growing diffleulty is experienced in filling up the reinforcements by Voluntary enlistments, ft would seem, therefore, that (he time lias arrived for the Dominions to- face the question of compulsion, much as si. eh a measure is repugnant to the sentiment of democracy. We are out to win, and all other considerations are of no account. The crucial phase of the [war is near at hand, and the necessary strength must he forthcoming to achieve victory, It would be criminal folly to fall short of requirements merely for the sake of sentiment. If voluntaryism fails, let there be no hesitation in Xew Zealand of resorting to compulsion, j'he war must be won at all costs, for the needs of .the nation and of the Empire are above all others.