CONSCRIPTION

Hokitika Guardian, 1 May 1939, Page 5

CONSCRIPTION

TO BE PERMANENT

LABOUR LEADER’S VIEWS,

(United Press Association--By Electric Telegraph—Copyright).

LONDON, April 29,

Mr Bevin (Secretary), addressing th e Transport Workers’ Conference, said his impression, after leaving the Trade Unions’ Council’s conference, with Mr Chamberlain, was that the Government was not committed to, and was ' not; working out, an organised system of collective security, but was purely improvising. He said that their statesmen were panic stricken.- Voluntarism had not broken down. There were thousands of unequipped TerritorialsBritain, if defeated, would be defeated by incompetence on the part of the .Government administrators. Only 150 thousand young men of the present age, allowing for rejections, would be conscripted, thus halting general recruiting. Mr Chamberlain and his followers intended to make conscription permanent, adjusting the age limits as time progressed. Tfie people must be shown their whole programme if such a( fundamental change were necessary.

BRITISH RECRUITING

RUGBY, April 28

Forty•- thousand Territorials enljsted during the first three weeks of April. This exceeded the number for teh whole of the year 1936.

A meeting of Ministers took place in the Commons, to-day, to consider the final draft of the Compulsory Military Training Bill, the text of which will be published on Monday evening.

Mr Chamberlain left this afternoon for Chequers. The British Legion has estimated that 300,000 members ' are already trained and fit to respond to the Government’s latest appeal. Ex-servicemen aged from 45 to 51 will join national defence companies as part of the Territorial Reserve for home defence. These companies will undertake essential duties on an outbreak of war, or in an emergency, in order to free the Regulars for service in other fields. -

It is officially stated that the Government is creating an Information Bureau to advise' on the removal of business headquarters in the case of emergency, preferably to neutral areas not affected by earlier evacuations, and by reception of refugees from other areas. The transfers will not receive State aid and there will be no preferential treatment in regard to transport. DE VALERA OBJECTS. LONDON, April 30. It is believed that Mr De Valera has informed Mr Chamberlain that the enactment of conscription in Ulster would be regarded as an infringement of Irish sovereignty. Mr De Valera pointed out that nearly half of those who would be conscripted in Ulster, pay allegiance to Eire.

A further complication concerns the position of Eire men who are resident in England.

BRITISH CABINET AIEETTNG

LONDON, April <>9

The British Cabinet meets on Alondav to discuss conscription. Herr Hitler’s speech and the question of Palestine policy. \

Lord Halifax will review the situation in the light of the denunciation of her pact of peace with Poland. Britain has no immediate intention of taking up Herr Hitler’s suggestion to discuss a new naval agreement.