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Otago Daily Times, Issue 16591, 14 January 1916, Page 4

COMPULSORY SERVICE AT HOME'. The atmosphere at Home is clouded today by the fact that the Miners' Federation, representing a largo body of men whose work is essential to the successful prosecution of the war, has, bv a majority of virtually two to one, decided in favour of a national strike in the event of tlie enforcement of the measure of compulsory military service which is now contemplated. The decision of tho Miners' Federation will be highly gratifying to Germany and her associates in the war. It will be hailed by them as a concretc illustration of the weakening of the determination of Great Britain, to .continue the war ttntil her eixsnieJt and the eneumca of

her Allies have been, vanquished. They will not unreasonably interpret the decision of the Miners' Federation if this is tho construction they place upon it. The Imperial Government has asserted, on the authority of the Minister of War, that the application of the measure of compulsion which is proposed is imperative in order that the wastage in the British army may be repaired and that the army may so be maintained at the strength which is necessary in order that victory may be achieved. If, then, any organisation, representing a great body of indispensable) workers, resolves that it will place such obstructions in tho way of the enforcement of this measure of compulsion as, if effective, might cripple the hands of the Government, it is taking a step which, in tho opinion of tho Minister of War, is calculated to impair the efficiency of the army and which involves the risk that the fruits of victory may be snatched from the grasp of the Allies. There has been no indication in the cables that the Miners' Federation or any other Labour organisation has sought or been offered the opportunity of a confidential discussion with the Minister of War, or with any other member of the Cabinet who is entitled to speak with authority, respecting the military requirements of the nation. It seems highly desirable, however, that the Government should take the labour executives more fully into its confidence upon the whole matter and so avert, if possible, consequences which would be extremely inconvenient and might be positively disastrous. It is very significant that the prominent members of the Labour party who fully seized of the exigencies of the case are satisfied as to the need of tho course of action which the Government is pursuing. The most striking indication of this is furnished in the fact that the three Labour members of tho Government, who resigned their Ministerial offices when their party declared its opposition to the Military Service Bill, have withdrawn their resignations. The announcement that they have done so at the very time of the threat by the Miners' Federation of a general strike affords tho clearest proof of the existence of acute differences of opinion in the Labour ranks concerning the duty of the country at the present juncture. And the existence of these differences of opinions is in itself, in the circumstances, a hopeful sign.