DEFENCE POLICY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 20 May 1939, Page 7

DEFENCE POLICY

BRITISH TRADE UNION RESOLUTIONS i I DEMAND FOR AGREEMENT WITH RUSSIA. CONSCRIPTION OPPOSED AND CRITICISED. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. (Received This Day. 10.10 a.m.) LONDON, May 19. The Trades Union conference resolved, by 3,678.000 to 450.000 votes, to protest against the introduction of conseriptii it in violation ol Mr Neville Chamberlain’s pledge and other undertakings, to urge an immediate agreement with Russia to create a peace trout, to co-operate with the United States in re-establishing international confidence, leading to disarmament and the restoration of trade, to express indignation at the rushing of the Military Training Bill through Parliament without consideration of important amendments, to oppose the permanency or extension of military conscription, .to demand that the Government control prices, limit profits and conscript wealth. The resolution involves acceptance on a broad basis of a scheme for dealing with war time industrial problems and wider recognition of collective bargaining, which will be negotiated with the Ministry of Labour. NO DRASTIC ACTION AGAINST CONSCRIPTION. AN OVERWHELMING VOTE. (Received This Day, 9.40 a.m.) LONDoN. May 19. By the overwhelming majority of 3,923,009 to 550,000, a card vote of the Trade Union Congress defeated the advocates of drastic action against conscription and accepted the council’s recommendation that trades unionists should not withdraw their co-opera-tion from the Government in voluntary national service for civil defence, The congress also rejected, by 4,172,IOG3 votes to 425,C00 the railwaymen’s proposal for a general strike against conscription. CAMBRIDGE VOTE CONSCRIPTION & ALLIANCE ISSUES. ■ (Received This Day, 9.50 a.m.) LONDON, May 19. . The Cambridge' Undergraduate Council ballot resulted in 1.869 votes for the Government’s conscription plah and 1 247 against. Those favouring a full Anglo-Russian military alliance numbered 2,078. while 703 were opposed. ' - .