GOVT. INVITED TO STATE OBJECTIONS TO CONSCRIPTION

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23083, 22 October 1949, Page 5

GOVT. INVITED TO STATE OBJECTIONS TO CONSCRIPTION

CANBERRA, Oct. 21,

“Let us look at ourselves. Look at the humiliation and indignity we' put ourselves to when we go to beseech America and New Zealand for help in defence,” said the Deputy-Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, Senator N. O’Sullivan, during a discussion on the estimates. “The people in . Australia -would overwhelmingly accept a system of universal military service,” he said. “What is the Government’s objection to universal training? America and New Zealand have it, and, according to press reports, there is a very substantial following in the Australian Labour Party who favour it. “Figures recently released by th« Minister of the Army, Mr. Chamber*, show that the Australian Army strength is about 31,000—less than half the recruiting target of 69,000. “At present there are 16,000 privates in the Australian forces. That is one commissioned or non-commissioned officer for every private.” The Leader of the Opposition, Senator W. J. Cooper, said that LieutenantGeneral Sturdee, who has just returned from the United Kingdom, had said compulsory training in Britain was a success. Senator R. J. Murray challenged the wisdom of sending General Sturdee overseas on the eve of his retirement. “It would have been of greater use to Australia if we had sent a much younger man with a brighter eye to the future and one who was not convinced of the inevitability of war,” he added.