The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED DAILY. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 21, 1918.

Gisborne Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 4953, 21 August 1918, Page 4

The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED DAILY. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 21, 1918.

The position in regard to recruiting

Going to Please Himself!

in Australia continues to be most disappointing not-

withstanding the exertion of the utmost moral pressure 011 the half-million eligibles who are in no hurry to lend their services to the Empire. Witliout a doubt this unhappy state of affairs must tend to make things very uncomfortable for ! the Federal press delegates who are at present visiting the Homeland. Tt may have been observed that one of the delegates at a recent function in London expressed the opinion that if the Allies had sustained a reverse of the character of a Sedan Australia would quickly have thrown her large reserve of man-power into France! His line of reasoning is typical of the attitude that has all along been adopted by way of excusing the Commonwealth’s neglect to adopt conscription. When the initial referendum on conscription was rejected in Australia Mr. Hughes, it will be recalled, fell into the stupid blunder of pledging his Government not to take another referendum unless Australia herself became menaced or the safetv of the Empire became seriously endangered ! The fact of the matter is, of course, that a section of the so-called leaders of public opinion in Australia long ago made up their minds and have consistently maintained their resolve not to exert themselves in regard to assisting with a view to ensuring that Australia should carry out her full part in the winning of the struggle. Amongst Australian politicians there is, for example, no more glaring example of a renegade of Empire than the Labor Premier of Queensland. Upon liis return from tlio sorry Labor conference at Perth, Mr. Ryan, it would seem, was asked some awkward questions. To an inquiry: “Do you now intend to take the recruiting platform?” he replied in his accustomed Parliamentary jargon that his intentions in that respect would be disclosed “in due course.” What was suggested was, of course, that it was still “up to him” to do his share in the matter of raising the body of troops which (when secured) is to hear the title of “The Ryan Thousand.” Twitted with utter neglect to “play the game,” he had perforce to admit the truth. “I have

addressed only one meeting,” he said; and actuated apparently by a mixture of anger and shame he added: “I refuse to become a recruiting agent and to take on my shoulders work that docs not properly belong to me. I am going to please myself whether x take the platform or not. ’ W hat a statesmanlike utterance indeed! Could anybody imagine any statesman m New Zealand using such words at a time when the Empire is fighting for its very existence? Such a thing is unthinkable. No one would be foolish enough to imagine that Mr. Ryan’s rule of life in public affairs is to “please himself” as to what he docs or does not do. There is very little pleasing himself about any “loader” of the Official Labor Party and Mr. Ryan is as abject a slave to i the whims of his “followers” as any lof the prominent men of the party. Mr Ryan says that “before he is prepared to go on indefinitely urging the people to enlist, he wants to know how many men are wanted lor home defence and for the requirements of essential industries, also the terms on which the Allies are willing to negotiate for peace.” -I he plain act of course, that politicians of this particular type are a hindrance to any British State. 'lt is a great pity that it was not long ago made a rule of British citizenship in all parts or the Empire that every male citizen ot military age must servo in the defence of the Empire if his services are required. In this Dominion little is heard to-day of the anti-conscription-ist for the simple reason that the great bulk of the people are so very loval that the small section of anticonscriptionists dure not loudly raise their voices. What is most surprising is that anti-conscnptionists will not admit that they should be classed as less loyal than all who urge that every man of military age should in his turn face a military medical board and if passed as fit go and do liis bit.” The day. we trust, will not be long in coming round when even the people of Australia will refuse to elc-ct to public offices—no matter how humble the position—anybody who during the war has subscribed to the wretched doctrine that British citizens should have the right “to please themselves”—to use Mr. Ryan = phrase—whether they will assist in the defence of Empire.