The Daily News. MONDAY, OCTOBER 23, 1916. AUSTRALIA'S FAILURE IN DUTY.

Taranaki Daily News, 23 October 1916, Page 4

The Daily News. MONDAY, OCTOBER 23, 1916. AUSTRALIA'S FAILURE IN DUTY.

All the right-minded citizens of Australia could hardly fail to be mortified at the receipt of the communication from General Sir Douglas Haig, in which lie draws pointed attention to the falling-off in reinforcements necessary to maintain the Australian Divisions in. France at their full strength. "Your divisions," he said, "have fought splendidly, but they cannot continue to achieve results unless their strength is kept up. The successes of the past few months justify an absolute confidence in our power to win the final victory, but it has not been, won, and to complete our work and secure an enduring peace the utmost efforts of the Empire and of our allies will be required for a long time yet. I hope that strong drafts will be despatched and the strength of the divisions maintained." Whether, or not this appeal for more men was intended by its author to influence the conscription referendum is matter for conjecture, but there can be no doubt that it was well timed, and should prove a powerful lever for an affirmative vote. At the same time it is decidedly unsatisfactory that the British Commander-in-Okief should have had cause to complain of Australia's neglect to perform her duty. The very fact of it being deemed necessary to have resort to a referendum on conscription is by no means creditable to the patriotism of the Commonwealth, especially a.s it is beyond all dispute that Germany had intended, if victorious, to annex Australia. Sir Douglas Haig has clearly indicated that Australia should carry out lier military obligations, and it is for the people to elect whether they will, tt3 in honor bound, supply the necessary reinforcement drafts or for ever bear the shame of basely deserting the gallant men who have covered the Australian States with a glory that any country might envy. It will be seen by the latest cables that there are many months of strenuous fighting yet to come before the Germans are blown homewards, and the harder they are pressed the more savage and desperate will they become. Every available eligible man that the Empire can spare will be required for carrying on the final chapter of the war, and this need affects Sew Zealand as much as it does Australia. The difficulty of keeping up the Dominion's reinforcements has been ntcadily growing of late, but it is sincerely to be hoped that Sir Douglas Ilaig will not be obliged to arouse New Zealand to her full sense of duty in the same way as was needful in the case of the Commonwealth. We may charitably assume that ill Australia it is the political system that is at fault rather tli.in waning patriotic ardor. The timely warning of Sir Douglas Haig should serve as an inspiration to the people of Australasia to do their utmost towards prosecuting the war to a successful issue, and the only way in which this ran be done is to swell the forces of the Allies to the strength requisite for obtaining a coaiplete and crushing victory, such as the Kaiser, in his latest pronouncement, would inflict on us—if he could—a defeat that would prevent Germany and hei colleagues from daring

ever again to wage war on any nation. Tlie call of Sir Do-.irl.is Haig is one that must bo .wlo.erod, and without delay.