ATTITUDE OF SOLDIERS.

Colonist, Volume LX, Issue 14592, 21 December 1917, Page 2

ATTITUDE OF SOLDIERS.

LIVELY MELBOURNE MEETING !

ANSWERS TO- "ANTI" ARGUMENTS1

, } Returned soldiers have been taking an j active part in the referendum cam-j paign in Australia. Half the audience'; at a\meeting- conducted in a Melbourne, suburb recently by the anti-conscrip-' tienists comprised soldiors, who had gone to the hall m a body, some with ithe aid of crutches. j The Melbourne "Argus" says there: was some delay in opening the doors, i and as the crowd was streaming in a member of the committee noticed on the floor a pamphlet containing the in-' suiting remarks huriea at the Australians in tho trenches by the Geimans when the conscription referendum was rejected in October 1916. The words were: "Scum of the earth. Your mates have deserted you."' The committeeman stamped viciously on the pamphlut

exclaiming, "This is an anti-cqnscrip-tidn meeting. We don't want stulf like , that to be seen here.'? When the meeting opened the chairman called on Mr H. j. Canavan j- a returned soldier who iosLhis leg in Gallipoll. Before he was permitted to speak, however, a lieutenant, jumped to his feet and shouted, "Wait a. minute, Mr Chairman. Let us have tho National Anthem first." The returned. i soldiers rose in a body and lustily sang j • 'God Save* the King." Loud "cheers i for the Empire followed, When.CanaI van commenced to speak he was assailjed with hoots, yells, and cries of i "Waster." Adopting a menacing atti- ! tude, he shouted above the din. "I'm not a waster," and, taking papers from ; a wallet, ' L defy any soldier here to produce a better discharge than I i have."

Canavan declared that coolies were, being brought to Australia to replace: the men who had gone to the front. This was received with yells of derision, and above the noise a soldier was heard shouting, "Why," blacks, and coloured men are lighting for you to-day."----i (Cheers.) | Another Soldier: Tell us how Austra-i-lia can get the reinforcements needed. ; without talking rot. ! The speaker ignored the question, and, concluding/he said that on December 20 he asked them to— | Soldiers in Chorus: Vote "Yes" ! (Cheers.)

When Canavan resumed his seat a man wearing a returned soldier's medal walked to the platform and asked "Will you allow me as a recruiting sergeant to appeal to your crowd for voluntary recruits " "This is an anticonscription meeting," the chairman replied, "I cannot accede to the request of the sergeant." Hoots followed tho announcement. The president of the Victorian Political 'Labour Council, Mr €. J. Bennett, said he was proud to belong to the ma-' jcrity that had voted against conscription in October last. A Voice: You're a disgrace to the ground you walk on. (Cheers). Mr Bennett continued his address, and almost every sentence was punctuated by an interjection until Mr Bennett became angry, and wavm<* his clenched fist he yelled: "You are°makmg an attempt to break up this meeting to-night. I tell you this, if you* do break it up I will see that every conscription meeting is broken up in tho future. ' (j^oud and prolonged hoots.) A Soldier: If yon attempt that, wo will storm every meeting of your crowd and prevent them from "being held' (Loud cheers.) A few minutes later Mr Bennett was counted oiit on three occasions, and after the last count an anti-corscrip-tiomst. madp a remark to a soldier who walked ' with the aid of a stick. Tho man-adopted a threatening attitude towards the soldier, and he was immediately rushed by fuliy 20 men in khaki. J he lieutenant and two policemen pushed their way into the melee, and a free fight was prevented by the narrowest margm. One soldier told Mr Bennett that tho anti-conscriptionists were telling the electors that returned soldiers opposed to the Government's proposals: "We came here in a body tonight," he continued, "to let the electors know that the returned soldiers are not on your side. We are with tho Government to help our pals at the I front." (Cheers.) I When Mr Bennett resumed his seat soldiers rushed to tho platform and ! one of them, seating himself at the j piano, struck up the first chords of the ,-National Anthem. The lights were ■ turned out, and there was a'scrimmage m the dark to reach the .street. Iho , soldiers then securer! a box, and, standimg on it, one of them said that as no i resolution had been put, he proposed: : —"That this meeting heartily concurs j with the proposals of the Government; ito reinforce the men at thY front." i •'This'was agreed-to with cheers, and the I f-oldiei-s■ .-marched away in a body sing- : ing-patriotic songs.