MILITARY SERVICE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 11729, 20 June 1916, Page 3

MILITARY SERVICE.

PROTEST BY LABOUR BODIES PRIME M'NISTER REPLIES TO OPPONENTS OF BILL A CITIZEN'S DUTY TO THE STATE. [I'TiO.M Oru Corrfspoxdext.] WELLINGTON, Juno IS). The Prime Minister has mado available for publication correspondence ho lias hati with .Mr Hiram Hunter, secretary of the United Federation of Labour, whilo the Military Service Bill was before the House. Mr Hunter ■wrote : •'' I have to express regret on behalf of the United Federation of Labour that, the Government cannot agree to give tho workers of New Zealand and others who may wish to do so an opportunity to express their view in reference to the drastic provisions of the Bill. Members of Parliament may be determined to inflict conscription upon New Zealand without having received any mandate from their constituents and in defiance of tho expressed wish of the working class, and they are in a position to do so as far as tho enactment of the measure is concerned, but if they do it will bo none the le?s an outrage upon this democratic young country. Tho question of conscription was not before the people at tho general election. They have not had an opportunity of discussing tho question and they would not agree to it unless it was preceded by the nationalisation of tho resources of tho country, and then only if it was demonstrated to them beyond a. doubt that it was essential to the success of tho Allied forces. '* If the Government pledged iteelf to supply a certain number of men and to keep up tho original strength by reinforcements prior to taking steps to ascertain vho number of men available by means of the National Register, it goes to show that its zeal outran its discretion and it is prepared to violate every democratic principle in its endeanrour to make good. We have it on the authority of Colonel Churchill that there are 200,000 servants waiting upon officers on tho Western front and another 00,000 acting as grooms, and yet your Government hastho temerity to propose that this country shall conscript its manhood on tho grounds of necessity. If tho Government wants national service it must ensure that those who arc called upon to serve tho State are really doing so and not serving merely tho capitalistic combines and landed proprietors who are waxing fat upon tho Empire's misfortunes. If the Military Service Bill is placed upon the Statute Book and put into operation prior to tho levying of adequate direct taxation to oover war expenditure, and the appropriation of all war profits, it will be against the best interests of the Empire. The voluntary system has proved a magnificent success, and all tho men this country can spare, without unduly hampering its productive capacity, will bo , forthcoming. . Thevoluntary,system will ensure a reasonable amount of consideration. It tends to prevent hazardous or foolhardy exploits where- men are likely to be needlessly sacrificed; in Bhortj it prevents Prussian militarism, and tho introduction of conscription means that the Prussians havo obtained, to say tho least, a moral victory* and British blood and treasure have flowed in vain. It is evident that your Government is out of touch with publio opinion on this question. The workers are convinced that you and your colleagues are more concerned about using conscription for industrial than for military purposes, and if your Government forces the passage of tho Military Service Bill it is simply emulating tho ostrich." MR MASSEY'S REPLY. Tho Prime Minister's reply, after pointing out that the workers first ur' f cd conscription upon tho Minister of "Defence) at Hillside, Dunediu, and rcpudiatina: the claim of the Federation of Labour to represent public opinion, goes on to say:— " Upon one point- I am in agreement with you, that -the voluntary system has proved a magnificent success,' but it has been, and is, in danger of failing, and for that reason tho Government has to consider other measures, and here you fores me to remind vou that the United Federation of Labour has done absolutely nothing to help on the recruiting movement and to-thus ensure tho success of the voluntary effort. On the contrary, some of its leaders, backed up by the journal that describes itself as the 'official organ of tho United Federation of Labour and tho Social Democratic Party,' havo done a good deal to discourage recruiting by the unpatriotic stand they havo taken in their comments upon the war and Great Britain's part iu tho. struggle. That being tho case, and as 1 am well advised that vou cannot point to a single member of your Federation executive who has personally interested himself in the matter. I fad to seo haw you can possibly claim credit tor the Success of the voluntary movement, which has actually been imperilled by tho past actions ot your federation. ; A CITIZEN'S DUTY. "Do you not think it is p,boufc time that the leaders of your Federation, with its rank and file, began to recognise tho responsibilities that citizenship emails? To me it has always seemed a regrettable thing that so many people are «o readv, while accepting all the right, and'privileges, to ignore the responsibilities a,ul duties ot citizenship. You look to tho State for protection against the aggressions of ah eneniv. and vou have a right to do so-provided that when the State claims your services for the protection of others vou are ready to help in the defence' of vour fellow citizens. _ Tno people who'shirk their responsibilities as citizens are no good to the fct;ue, especially in times of such national peril iis'now confront us, and 1 am satisfied that their opinions carry very little weight with their follows in other oarts of the Dominion. LU<E AND DEATH STRUGGLE. •'• So far as the. Government is concerned it has the one Mipreme object in view, and 1 believe the country is solidly with it in its indexible determination to do all within its power to assist, the Mother Country and her allies in bringing the war to a successful I'ouohi.Mon. and to thus Jvee. the democracies of the world from the blight of Prussian tyranny. Apparentlv you and those who agree with yon have not yet grasped tho elementary lac I' thai wo- are committed to a life and death struggle, from winch it may take all our sirenrth and wit to emerge triumphant. Were Germany to triumph through _ any unhappy chance the iron heel of the oppressor would soon be felt by the workers of this Dominion in common with those of the other portions of the EmpireWhat then would become of the rights and privileges you aro able to claim in our free democracy to-day, rights and privileges which you are apparently m> unwilling to defend against an unscrupulous and inhuman foe: J DUTY TO THE STATE. " The present is no time for hall-

hearted measures, nor for whining protests against the alleged ' Prussianisation 'of the nation. That can'only bo brought about it" Now Zoalanders aro untrue to themselves and fail to rwogni.se that just as the State, lias its duties towards them so they havo their Outifss toward", tho State, and ihat if they fail to respond to tho call of duty the State has the rightto demand their services for tho defence of the community. While the State protects the individual the individual must also help to protect tho State. Failure to discharge tho duties of citizenship in the hour of national peril can only be regarded a sign of nmvorihinoss in tho individual unfitting him for tho ordinary rights of citizenship."