CONSCRIPTION IN AUSTRALIA.

Otago Witness, Issue 3327, 19 December 1917, Page 20

CONSCRIPTION IN AUSTRALIA.

(By Cable.) The greatest meeting ever held in Australia declared in favour of the Government's reinforcement proposals. Over 100,000 persons were present at the meeting. It is officially announced that during the referendum meeting on the night of 'the 10th inst. in the Melbourne Cricket Ground an attempt on Mr Hughes's life was frustrated by the police, who seized a man when he was about 'to hurl a knife at the Prime Minister. Sir William Irvine, in a speech, declared that, whichever way the referendum vote goes, conscription in some form jvill be absolutely unavoidable. Recent developments on the war fronts have had a calming effect on the referendum turmoil, and there is evidence that the issue is regarded more seriously by tho electors than a short time ago. Tho sterner tone adopted by. leading _ "Yee" advocates and 'the growing conviction that, conscription or no conscription, a greater effort is required by Australia as part of the Empire "before the end is reached are factors making for a drift in favour of "Yes." Speaking at Geelong, Mr Hughes reiterated: "If 'these proposals are turned down I will do what I am able to see that reinforcements are sent overseas, making no exceptions whatever." On the 14th there was a big procession of returned soldiers and sailors, followed by a monster demonstration in Martin place, Sydney. Their relatives and friends in favour of "Yes" were the speakers. There were eeveral and much enthusiasm was evinced. Women on both sides have taken a prominent part in the referendum campaign. ' ' Some returned soldiers broke up an anticonscription orocession in Melbourne. The mounted police charged and scattered the crowd. A hot scrimmage occurred between the opposing forces. INSTANCES OF ROWDYISM. (From Our Own Correspondent.) SYDNEY, December 5. The conscription fight is becoming decidedly lively. The dispute between those two hotheads, Mr Hushes and Mr Ryan (Premier of Queensland), seemed to infuse ginger into the proceedings, and now *the campaign, in its bitterness, its noisiness, and its ebullitions of disorder, is reminiscent of the days of October, 1916. The anti-con-scriptionists—who, as usual, include the hoodlum element—are adopting tactics which should cause general disgust. Here are a few typical examples : _ *"T Anti-eonscriptionists. at Elaine attacked 'the people leaving a conscription meeting, particularly directing their attention to certain women. Eggs and road metal were thrown. As a conscription speaker was leaving a hall at Narrabri he was assaulted, and pelted with rotten eggs. A conscription meeting at Williamstown was turned into a Bedlam by a crowd of young men, who jeered at the speakers and howled whenever finer sentiments were appealed to. Anti-conscriptionis'ts took possession of a conscription meeting in North Melbourne, and sat and jeered while the National Anthem was being sung. The speakers were howled down, and the meeting was eventually abandoned. _ A pro-conscription returned soldier was in a back street of Bendigo after delivering a rousing speech, when ho was savagely assaulted by three men, and severely injured.

A blind man, speaking at a country conscription meeting, could not dodge the missiles—eggs and stones —which were thi-own at him, and was considerably knocked about.