CONSCRIPTION.

Taranaki Daily News, 3 May 1917, Page 3

CONSCRIPTION.

To the Editor. Sir, With your permission I would like to heave a disrespectful trick at certain anti-militarists. The stock argument of these gentlemen is that conscription is un-British. Now, if the. Britisher were bullet-proof, there might be something in their contention, but unfortunately a bullet in a hurry it 1:0 respecter of/persons and is liable to do considerable harm to the Britisher if lie should happen to be. in its line of lligiu. If this were not so then conscription would admittedly be un-British. It would also be unnecessary. The truth is that conscription is neither a matter of National sentiment nor racial temperament. It is purely an<l simply a matter of geography. If Britain were part of Europe proper she would/have had conscription similar to the other States. Hitherto the herring pond and the Navy have stood between Britain and any pronounced form of conscription. Bui science lias annihilated distance. New York and London are nearer to-day tlia.'i Edinburgh and London were fifty years ago, and the creed of glorious traditions is with last year's snows. When some genius arises who can devise a war-proof civilisation, then conscription will be unnecessary, but at present the gentleman possessing this capability is not visible between 11s and the sky-line. Furthermore in'the present disturbance, it was military trained Belgium and Franco who saved unprepared Britain from Sr. ni'f booked for a place in the cemetery |of Empires.—l am, etc.. | PRANK BELL.