THE REFERENDUM.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume VI, Issue 271, 1 November 1916, Page 2

THE REFERENDUM.

POLITICAL POSSIBILITIES. WHAT WILL MR. HUGHES DO. The Sydney’ correspondent to the Wellington “Post” writing undei late Sydney, 25th October, says : A theory is t.nat, in the event of Wes. ’ the militant Labour which loves office, will fall m once more behind Mi. Hughe-,, sv allow its Jisco’Hiiriue, and seek the status quo ante belluni. It seems reasonable to suppose that people who have always been so fiercely in favour of the lefeifndnni would ae cept the decision of the referendum, without cavil, bat that is calculating without knoiving of the intense and almost incredible liostility which the 'militant unions are displaying towards the man who led them to | poll! kal powei These people may i hate const npf ion. but th>”. s<>\ they [ hate “Bill.v Hughes” more, whether the vote lie “Yes” or No.” they w’lll subvert every- motive, personal or political, to their desire to drag down their pic sent Prime Minister. If the vote lie “No,” militant Labour will claim that it has defeated Mr. Hughes, in spite of the formidable forces he has laid against it. The Political Labour League w’ill claim that it ha« been given a mandate to contiul the Federal Government, and it will seek a more than ever tyrannical domination of all. political activities. The waverers in the Labour Party will definitely desert Mr. Hughes, and Labour may’ be able to carry on the Government. At this stage, one can onl.v guess what Mr. Hughes, in these circumstances, would do. The defeat of the referendum would be the severest blow of his political career. He might retire from politics, for his health is always very delicate ; he might go to the larger political field in Britain, whence come invitations, many’ and pressing ; he might ally himself with the Liberal Party ; or he might—and this is jpost likely—place himself at the head of such loyal followers as remained to him, build up a newparty, and wage a crusade against the “secret junta” of the P.L.L. Like a hero of earlier times, he would set out to destroy’ the monster he himself created, and the battle would be waged with an inconceivable bitterness. But whether the vote be “Yes” or “No,” Australian politics will be immediately’ in a state of turmoil, and all sorts of sensational developments ire likelv.

GERMAN LIES. ASPERSIONS AGAINST AUSTRALIA. SENATOR KEATING’S RETURN. Fremantile, Oct. 26. Senator Keating, who accompanied the dominions Parliamentary party during their recent tour of Great Britain and France, returned by the R.M.S. Mongolia yesterday. When asked his views on the conscription question he said: “I think Australia should vote for- it by’ as large a majority as possible. We are in this war, and we have got to see it through to a successful end. I know’ that the war w r as not of Australia’s seeking; nevertheless, as part of the British Empire, we have gone into it voluntarily and spontaneously without any- suggestion of pressure or request. Through the then Prime Minister we offered our last man and our last shilling, and the spirit of that promise we have to regard. “It would immensely lower the prestige of Australia for all time and •n the eyes of all nations were we co decide ‘No’ on Saturday next. Even before it was announced in England that the referendum was to oe taken on the question of conscription the German press was busycirculating lies about the attitude ot Australia in this war. They had gone so far as to impute bad faith on the part of the Mother Country towards Australia. They were assuring their readers that the colonial troops would not fight through another winter. They had also published other fantastic stories about the doings of Australian soldiers in the various fields of duty. You can well imagine, therefore, the gusto with which the Huns would relish the defeat of the national service proposals on Saturday next. They hope for it with alfthdir hearts. Our own men : already’ at the front, and elsewhere, ' and our kinsmen in the Mother Country, hope and believe otherwise. Australia has then an obvious duty’—to answer ‘Yes’ with all the force it can command on the 28th.”