OVERSEAS SERVICE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 13 May 1942, Page 3

OVERSEAS SERVICE

POLICY OF COMPULSION IN CANADA BILL BEFORE PARLIAMENT. SEQUEL TO PLEBISCITE. (By Telegraph—Press Association— Copyright) OTTAWA, May 11. The Canadian Prime Minister, Mr Mackenzie King, introduced in the House of Commons a Bill to amend the National Resources Mobilisation Act by removing the ban on compulsory military service overseas. He said the purpose of the amendment was to give the Government freedom of decision and action in respect of the method of raising men for military service, which in the recent plebiscite, the people requested, and which- they desired the Government to possess. The Prime Minister announced the resignation of the Minister of Transport, Mr Cardin, who is opposed to conscription. He said that the plebiscite vote was 64 per cent in affirmative, and 36 per cent in negative. He said the vote was an impressive demonstration of the importance the electors attached to giving the Government a free hand in time of war. •

Conscription was not the issue. The Government did not ask the people to say whether conscription for overseas service should be adopted. In that respect the result was only construable as leaving to the Government and Parliament entire freedom to deal with the question on its merits.