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Wairarapa Times-Age, 28 April 1939, Page 6

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DEPARTURE FROM PLEDGE PREMIER’S JUSTIFICATION. NEW LIABILITIES ASSUMED. (British Official Wireless.), (Received This Day, 11.55 a.m.) RUGBY, April 27. The Prime Minister (Mr Neville Chamberlain) .in the House of Commons, said two days would be given to the second reading of the Conscription Bill, the first of which would be on Thursday next. Referring to Ihe pledge given to the House of Commons in the past not to introduce conscription in peace time within the lifetime of this Parliament, Mr Chamberlain said he wanted to point out that the occasion of the pledge was, very different from today. The fact was today, the Premier continued, that the Government no longer thought the needs of the country could be met by the voluntary system if that system were to stand alone. The assurances given to Poland, Greece and Rumania had enormously increased British liabilities. It would be a mistake to suppose, although the number of meh affected in a single year by the conscription proposals was not large, that from a military point of view it was not important. To have the certain knowledge that on a definite day a definite number of men would be available, who could be trained in a definite time, was of the first importance in planning military operations; . The Government was associatihg with this other fresh proposals designed to meet the views of the Opposition, with which the Government bad every sympathy, that when people were asked to undertake compulsory service, it ought not at the same time bo permitted to others, perhaps not (sharing in the obligation, to be enriched out of the country’s need. Mr Chamberlain said it was hoped that definite proposals for limiting profits would be laid before Parliament at a very early date. The Government's view was that if war should ever come again, it felt that taxes on the very wealthy must be further and substantially increased. The Government also felt that profiteering in war time should be subjected to special penalties. The proposal was not a substitution of a compulsory system for a voluntary system, but was designed to .meet only immediate and temporary needs. "I do not want to give the idea that I think war imminent,” said the Premier, "but I do think we are in such a condition that very little weight one way or the other might decide whether war is going to come or not,”