AUSTRALIA'S VERDICT.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLI, Issue 10526, 2 December 1916, Page 9

AUSTRALIA'S VERDICT.

SPEECH BY MR HUGHES. A DEPLORABLE RESULT. HUT COUNTRY STILL I.OVAL. MELBOURNE, Nov. 9. Speaking at the Lord Mayor's dinner tonight., the Prime Minister (Mr Hughes) said the people had not grauted the powers asked for by the Government to supplement voluntary by compulsory enlistment where the number'of volunteers fell short of the reinforcements .requested by the British Army Council. The authority the Government! desired was refused by ihe narrows! of margin. Out of nearly 2.250,000 ol electors who went to the poil there was a maioritv against the Government proposals ot less than 60,000; thai was to say, less than three pev t-nt. In three States a majority of the electors were in favour of the Government's proposals. Jhe citizens <>f tho < ommonwealth. then, looked til as si whole, were divided into two wimps of almost equal size, while, taking the States us unils, there are three on either side, for all practical purposes the electors were evenly di\ ided upon llio question submitted to ihem. The result of the referendum settles one point, and one point only—that we may not have recourse to compulsion in order to provide reinforcements for oversea service during the war. ll did nol in any way affect their existing powers under the Dele Act, although >l did Until ihe extern to which these ought to be exercised, and. of course, ii could not affect in any way Australia's obligations to the Umpire during this war. (Cheers.) The/ people, misled b\ gross misrepresentations, had declined to entrust the Government with the powers asked for. EFFECT ON DEMOCARI V. The decision of (he people would prolounrllv lifted the future, nol only ol this young' Commonwealth, but ol democratic aovernuienl generally. Certainly the reinsal on the part of a free peuplc to make sacrifices to defend their freedom would p ( , u «(» ( | as a [iroof of the unwisdom ol submitting great national issues directly to the pcoph . (Hear, hen.) But. "'Ol" regretting the decisii n. considering the odds agaiusr, there was no need to be ins couraged. (( beer;.) ['LAYING GERMANY'S I \-ME. The verdict of the people, noi matter liow influenced had Leon given, and must be accepted, bin lie felt certain that ver'\ man" Australians already regretted a vote which now, when it was too late, they see has brought joy into the camps of our mortal enemy, and made evident to all what. is the policy of those mainly responsible tor iic aiiti-conscriptioriisi ,-campaign. (Hear, hear.) What must be the feelings of lens of thousands of loyal Australians who. misled by the outrageous misrepresentations of designing men. voted "No'' when they read in that morning's press the enthusiastic approval of their action by the Gen 'an press? •'ls there," continued Mr Hugh -. "one man or woman who voted 'No,' end who lo\es Australia, who does nol feel humiliated and ashamed to see in what light then action is regarded in Get many'.' (Applause.) These words of commendation I torn those whose hand-, are red from the blood of otli Australian soldiers, these words of jubilation front ttie slayers of women and children, these marks'of approval from those inhuman monsters who have with fiendish malignity inoculated British prisoners with foul disease, must burn themselves into the very soul of every true Australian. To be patted on the back by Germany is to feel the ham) of the leper upon one's face. EFFECT ON INDUS'! RIES. "Can unj loyal Australian who voted 'No' nov. doubt that thej have played the game of Germany? No. And when they turn front the world beyond the seas and look at home what comfort can th y cierivo from the events of the last few days, which have revealed the intentions of the mouthpieces—for I cannot call these men leaders who move and speak only when and how thev are told—of the organised 'No' vote'. Already industries are allotted by the coal strike, many thousands of men are thrown out of .t-'tnphe. meut, every <\-.'.y the numbers affected aVc increasing, the community is faced with the prospect ol a general dislocation of its industrial machinery. ANTI-CONSCRIPTION SPEECHES. "We hope that sane counsel will prevail. Inn we cannot shut our eyes to this menace to the national and industrial life of the Commonwealth. One prominent man u few days ago invited the people to take the law into their own hands. He said that every man v. ho went into camp 'scabbed' on those who refused »i go ■'»■ lie asked why did the men ill camp not walk out '.' On Morula; evening the amiconscriptionists had a meeting. Speeches were made which wore at once an exposition of the policy (I the anti-eomcription-ist party and an indication ol what awaits the unfortunate people of Australia if these people are afforded an opportunity of governing the country. One speaker openly boasied that the whole capacity of the industrial machinery of labour, which was under the control of the official organisations of the continent. would be so put into operation that he (Mr Hughes) would lind ii nbsolutely impossible to ear: : on the oovernmenl of the i tmtry. Another speaker defended sabotage, and demanded , ls ;l ~(,,„), of, the referendum vote that the charges againsi members of the I.WAV. in Sydney should be withdrawn, and declared againsi conscription for home service even il an enemy lauded in Australia, and belittled the protection of die British f1.,„ A third speaker stated in even plainer language the creed and intention of ihe mouthpieces of the organised anticonscription party. The peace army, he said. Oil this occasion was engaged in a li„l,| to a finish, and if the people wanted to -top conscription they must stop the war and those who d tttorecr in support 0 [ ii, especially from lh< pulpu.. (••Shame !") . . omil ~;„. division's attack in winch d made likely to influence the war. THE "STOP THE WAR" POLICY. I| rl „, in ihese plain declarations the people of An.,aha m:,v see wh.o those who led 11, 0 aiui-conscription campaign stand toi. Tho\ m.'v sec—thev cannot help seeing—what will' happen if those men nave their wav Not by even a passing.ward is the. B rrat fnci thai the Empire » fighting a ii:e-nd-deaih struggle with a military despotic, alluded.to, not v r ronce i o ou. obligation to "he Empire, to our fellow citizens ai the front; not a word of any UMvns wherebv we can get the men necessary tot reinforcements. On the contrary a plain declaration of a "stop the war poIKA, an exhortation to misguided citizens to bi.i. the laws of ihe country, demands to. the elease of the members ol thai sinister oiuanhation the t.W.W., who are large!} ieu'onsible for the present attitude oi organ- •™ l Labour, industrially and polpiea ly towPKh the war. and some of whom hrr.e been sentenced to d;ath fo. cowardly and brutal murder, and whose abominable no hey is sa botage and war againsi soc ety goner ; , ]U , |„ place of a policy by which Aus aim •an do her duty in tins great war here s ,un for .vard plainly a demand that she ; -h„. withdraw from the war. ( hl.atn... J MASS OF 'ICE PEOPLE LOYAL. because of such statements as these, and the i kings underlying them. I [eel it noces : .-rv lo emphasise the fact that by the referendum ihe people of Australia did not endorse such a policv as ~|,ese people put lorward Ido not believe for one moment that 'was approved by the gre'ai majority of these who voted "No." (Hear, hear). On the contrary. I believe that they loathe d abominate it. I believe that the great mass of the people of Australia are.loyal to the |? m pi r c t and are resolute to fight on by the siik' of Britain and her Allies to the ,;m\ (Cheers). A POLICY OF ANARCHY. 1 said during ihe campaign, and J repeat it now, that something more than i the mere Imestion of compulsory enlistment for reinforcements was involved in the referendum. It is perfectly plain that there is in this amtrv 0 number ol persons who are opposed, 10 this war, who are up against the Empire, who will do all they can to prevent Australia doing her duty as part of the Empire. The strikes and upheavals, political and industrial, we -"e around _ us are the manifestations of deliberate policy, ' which aims at destroying fioei«l>v as ii now exists. They arc the work ol men who, I calling themselves by many name-, or by n" name. are. in effect, anarchists, and I assisting them For their own purpose are certain sections, who are, ft.- f have said, i against the Empire. This is the situation ' I with which Australia is faced. AN INTOLERABLE TYRANNY. Fighting abroad for our liberties against Germany, we are menaced at home by men

who peolc lo stab the Empire m tlv> back, by men who are against tins war for il> t-i-rv which has boon imposed np-m ilm civilised nations by the frrent military dwpotisrn of Germany, by men who sock to force upon ms an intolerable tyranny, and to make government impossible. W hat must he the duty of any Government worthy «f Iho name under such circumstance.--? It is to carry on the wav witn vigour to prove to the Kmpi and to the world that the heart of Amrraha beats true, that it owes its existence to the rmnire and realises that only through the defeat of Germany can the (.ommomvcn' hj, maintain its existence and achieve its destiny. (Applause). THE GOYERN I\IENT ANf) '1 GE WAR. Mr Hughes concluded his eloquent speech by staling: ■"Wo irepose to press on with that poncy upon wliicli wc were elected, both in regard lo the war and to matters arising out ol the war. We shall endeavour, despite the liniK lat ions imposed by the people’s verdict, to enable Australia to play her part creditably on the field of battle. Wo believe that the bulk of the people of Australia desire such a policy, and as long as we arc permitted to give effect to it. we .shall carry on. (Cheers.) When we find that to be impossible we shall appeal to the people.” (Loud cheers.)