AUSTRALIAN RECRUITING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 16309, 16 August 1916, Page 6

AUSTRALIAN RECRUITING.

J Australia has been anxiously await- ' ing a declaration by the Commonwealth Prime Minister on the subject of compulsory service. During the. absence in England of Mr. Hughes the subject has unfortunately aroused some party feeling. Though enlistments have seriously declined the Government has refused to go beyond voluntary rei cruiting, while prominent Opposij tionists have been leading a cam- [ paign in favour of compulsion. The : public sentiment of Australia is ■ unmistakably in favour of compul- : sory service, but a small section, '■ understood to be the extremists | among the supporters of the Government's Labour policy, has . aroused some noisy and threatening i opposition- The Government has so i far avoided a position of some diffi- . culty by postponing its decision ! until the return of Mr. Hughes, who : has not yet made any specific announcement. It would appear, , however, from his Sydney speech, J reported by cablegram, to-day, that : his mind is made up. He said that ! the Allies must conquer, that they • could not prolong the war indefij nitely, that the only way to secure victory was to pour more men into the field. As to Australia he declared that her duty was clear, and that he would " do his duty no matter whom he pleased or displeased." It would seem from this that whatever influences are at work in Australia against a Compulsory Service Bill the Prime Minister is in favour of action similar to that already taken in Britain and New Zealand. The party led by Mr. Hughes has already a creditable record for its naval and military defence policy, , and is unlikely to shirk the step ( that has now become absolutely . necessary in order that the Australian force gallantly fighting in France may be regularly and fully : reinforced.