GERMAN MONEY.

Taranaki Daily News, 4 November 1916, Page 2

GERMAN MONEY.

SEDITION AND REBELLION. STARTLING REVELATION BY FEDERAL PRIME MINISTER. Objections to the proposals are myriad in number and protean in fhape, the Australian Prime Minister, Mr. William Hughes, said at Ballarat last week in the course of a speech on the military service referendum. It is said that we have done enough, that Britain or Russia should supply the men. It is said that there are not enough single men, that human life is sacred, that compulsion will destroy unionism, and will result in a great influx of cheap labor. Every day brings forth a fresh swarm of these statements and so-called arguments. People are deafened by these shrill erios. Feats are being eMited by designing men, who do not avow their real motives. People are being urged to take the path of national dishonor, and to disregard the sacred obligations we owe to men at the. front and to Australia. (Cheers). These men must not be allowed to pose as lovers of Australia. We must tear the masks from their faces. (Cheers). No man can serve two masters; no man can I be a friend of Australia who is the enemy of Britain. (Cheers). While the Empire stands against the world we stand, but no longer. (Cheers). Now the Empire is fighting for its life. Let ; those against it get into one camp and 'those for it into another. (Loud and prolonged cheers). I love no men who pose as patriotic Australians and urge us to take a course which would brand us for ever by deserting Britain. I would not do that even if to desert Britain did not mean, as it does, national suicide. Who are against these proposals! Voices: Traitors.

' Mr. Hughes: These men luve nothing jin common save a common hatred of [ Britain. There is in this country a number of wild irreconcilables, whose number [is insignificant, but whose influence is out of proportion to their number. Many of these are in an organisation called the i Industrial Workers of the World. The name is the only thing that makes them akin to industry. Their aim cannot in its entirety be avowed. Their avowed ■ weapon is the general strike. They attempted on Wednesday last to use it against the community. Tho result, as 'you know, was u miserable fksco, but it was intended to bring all industry 'throughout the Commonwealth to a standstill, prevent the coaling and dispatch of troopships, and create a condition under which they hoped to be able jto bring about something like civil war [in our midst. Happily, I say, for the welfare of the Commonwealth and of [genuine unionism, thin vile attempt failJed. But the I.W.W. and som-j other origanisations do not stop at such tactics, but r 0 much farther. They not only preach but practice sabotage; that is to say, the wilful destruction of factories, machinery, and plant. Nor do they stop even here; but for reasons that will be obvious to every citizen of the Commonwealth in the 'course of the next few days, I will not now catalogue their crimes, except to remind the people of tho Commonwealth that they are to a man anti-conscriptionists. These men have perverted industrial and political unionism to their own base purposes. I hone that the workers will arise while there is yet time, and put these men out. (Cheers). They are all anarchists, and enemies of society. I invite you to read the Press diligently during the next day or two. I invite those with whom I have been associated for twenty years to consider what company they keep. It is such men as these who are responsible for some of the statements made. I do not. blame them. The call of the blood has come, and they are for Germany exactly the same reason as we are for Britain. They are against the Government proposals for the same reason as every patriotic Australian is for them. But it is not only the call of the blood that we have to deal with. We lmv? learned how German agents and money have been busy in stirring up sedition and rebellion. 'They have been busy in India, where their efforts had some measure of success. They were 'within a hair's-breath of success in South Africa. We have seen what they have done more recently in Ireland. Every German in Australia, with a few negligible exceptions, is against these proposals. Will Australians take a stand on the saint line as the Germans? (Cheers),