NATIONAL REGISTER

Grey River Argus, 5 December 1938, Page 8

NATIONAL REGISTER

PUBLIC OPINION DIVIDED. LONDON, . December 2. After Sir John Anderson sat down at the end of his speech in the House of Commons oh a proposal to establish a register of man-power, Mr George Lansbury (Labour) jumped up and exclaimed: “Do all these gigantic preparations mean that the Government’s view is that war is inevitable?” Mr Chamberlain replied sharply,' “Certainly not.” Press comment is divided between favouring Sir John Anderson's, voluntary scheme of national Service and one preferring compulsion.' A third view faVours accepting the voluntary plan as a test and this is expressed by “The Times.” : .. . . ‘ “The Times” asks: “Will the plan satisfy the nation, in which there is undoubtedly a lively feeling that the Government should have struck while the iron of relief at the Munich settlement hot, ahd .Should have demanded a, drastic" measure of national organisation* rind training? No doubt the plan is less dramatic than some would have wished, but it possesses the supreme virtue of offering a thorough test of the public spirit of the nation. Everything depends on the response to the appeal in the New Year.” ; The “Daily Telegraph’* outspokenly, declares: “A measure which taps only a part of the nation’s man-power cannot be enough. A voluntary register reveals the nUtnbbfs of those willing to offer service, but gives no guidance on those who are capable of giving service. It will be difficult, if registration is optional, for people in the mass to , realise that it is an urgent duty. ' It will Seem as though the Government is not very much in earnest after all.”