CONSIDERABLE NATIONALIST INTERRUPTION.

Marlborough Express, Volume LII, Issue 83, 12 April 1918, Page 5

CONSIDERABLE NATIONALIST INTERRUPTION.

IRISH CONSCRIPTION TO T3E

CARRIED OUT.

Australian and •■■NJZ.'CJsftfle Association TiQ^fDON, April 10. In the House of Commons Sir George Cave, in moving the second reading of the Man-Power Bill, was subjected to considerable Nationalist interruptions, mitil the Speaker intervened.

Sir George Cave said that the 'Government believed that Irish conscription was worth wliile if only five divisions were obtained. He did not be'•lieve that an army 'would.'.be neees- ' sary to enfqree conscript-ion. There I were already considerable troops in •Ireland ..■ for'the preservation of order. Though Rome Rule .mid conscription were not intended to'be'two sides of a bargain, Ireland could not get Home Rule more easily-'-than .'by fighting the kingdom's common battle. : Mr Hobhouse moved, an amendment that, while recognising the ! gravity of the military situation and the urgent necessity of giving all possible support to £he Allied forces, the House"-of -Commons was <6f opinion that the; Bill dimimshed the nation's naval and- 'economic power, without adding the -Gommenaurate : military strength. Supporters of the amendment'drew, Mr Lloyd George's attention to a: •statement that the enemy's strength was inferior on the "West 'front, and -asked: Why, then, "have we not I taken advantage of our superiority to the offensive? 'The proposals would -produce an avalanche of unfit ;rhen, probably less than '3 per cent useful for 'military purposes. The iirmy Was now making no effective use of -lower'grade men, / Mr Dillon stated that events in 'franco were the only justification if or -the "Bill, but the''proposals-could hot have any possible'-:effed> in rekdressing recent misfortunes. The jfconibing-out scheme would : provide -real reiriforcements. The [raising <of rthe age was unnecessary. He beliey■ed that the trouble at the front was 'not-lack' of men, bub due "to the system of promoting officers. The old p-ang was still in control of the army. "Hedescribedtließi.il as a delusion and ian attempt 'to blind people as to its i;real purpose, which* was to -divert ' public attention from the causes of /'disasters; The Irish bishxaps 'hotl hwnrned the Government that tlie Uill wo;tild break down law and order. The Irish front would become formidable, because there would 'be a -conflict in which England was morally j wrong. " Its 'influence would -eonse-I'-quently spread "to America and AusI tralia, believing that the Government was enforcing eonscriotion in order to -o.scpDe its Home 'Rule pledges. He i challenged the [Government to take a j-couritry.'plebiscite in Ireland on feoni script-ion,, which -would yield probably mo jnore- than (80;O00 men and im-|-pei-'i1! Britain's food supply. If the ! Seed was persisted iin Britain's'moral ! ■position before the world would be Ligone.

"'•• Mr , Asquith ■ gravely doubted ■vflwtJher the raising of the nse would j wodtiea the- expected results. He had "been overwhelm pfl with' coto.t mirmk:a.tions from aH parts of the conn try., pointing out that the proposal would denude thn vital busines^cs of their remaining indispensable men. He himself 'believed that the result would not tmjrea.se but would diminish the mttwrnal efforts available for the Avar. r'l<e regretted that the -tribunals had "Keen swept away, preventing consideration of soeeial eases.. Irish conscription had already been ■'rejected twice or thrice by Governments. It would 'have been much easier two years ago. It should not be imposed without IreHand's general consent, which vas-not forthcoming. It was only imposed in Britain when general assent -was secured. In a free Empire we must take things and communities as they are. Additional man-power

from Ireland ,by conscription would not balance the drawbacks. The Irish revolutionary movement was now waning. It would be a terribly short-sighted policy to accompany Home ,Llule with this obnoxious proposal. He concluded by appealing to all parties to endeavor to reconcile Ireland to the Empire, in order to preserve an unbroken, front. Mr Bonar Law* said that the Government agreed to Mr Asquith's suggestion to give more time for consideration of the Conscription Bill, which would necessarily create controversy. The Government did not j wish to aggravate discord, and must ■ justify its proposals. It was useless! to conceal the position from ourselves. What had happened in Franco was not expected. That was why the Government introduced the j IB ill. Until the commencement of the battle the balance of the forces was »ot against the Allies. UndertTiese circumstances the Government, as well as its Allied military advisers, believed that if the enemy attacked we ran no danger of anything fatal !ha;ppenxng. Mr IBonar Law continued: "Members were repeatedly asking why we did not exercise the initiative., Even if the Government or the army leaders 'ought to bo changed, the demand for men remained. Unless we were prepared to face the position we must Hbe prepared to face defeat. A successful offensive against entrenched (positions was only possible with the Whole weight of the Allies. The Government established unity of command, Relieving that if the Allied armies were used as one what was now a dangerous .situation might be ■dhanged to our advantage.' If the enemy failed in their present plans ;the result -would be most serious for them. He would consider Mr Asquith's suggested maximum age^of '$8. The Germans woulfi persist month after month. The Government's figures showed that unless the casualties became much heavier the most critical time would at the end of May or June. If the battle lasted another eight months men now being recruited would be available; therefore there ftiust not be unnecessary delay. ThY Government was aware of the inevitable dffeet on trade and 'industry, and had deliberately made up its mind that the risk, must; be taken in the face of ihe'great crisis, believing that it might mean; the difference between victory and; defeat. If the Government announced that the life of the nation was at stake, but could not ask Tre-< 'land "to 'help, it would be the end of Home Rule. It was a mistake to suppose that the Government', 'had introduced Irish conscription as a. pious opinion. It intended to carryi't out. (Cheers). It was formerly; .estimates flr«!.fc Ireland would pro-i vide 120,000 men, but the new. con-1 ditions would give many more. The Government had deliberately weigh-; .od.'the advantages and disadvantages., If wrong the Government should be; changed. ■. ;

Mr "80-nar-Xaw concluded by inviting opponents of Irish conscription to oppose the second readincr.: 'If the country thought that the Gov-j eminent was making a mistake, the! latter would support any other Gov-! eminent in can-ying on the war.