Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-06-09
LABOR WISDOM FROM AUSTRALIA
John c. Watson exPremer Defends Compulsory Military
ice and Says That Forced Arbitration of Industrial
Disputes Is Successful

three or four years. 1 did something toward
creating the public sentiment in favor of the
new law. Labor favors the system We have
a democratic government and we are not
| afraid of arming ourselves You know that
| tyranny cannot resist an armed people very
| long. When every man had his bow and
arrow the kings had to grant the demands
OF the people. And the same rule will hold
When every man has his rifle. The troops
nave been called out occasionally to suppress
labor troubles, l am sorry to say. We do
not like that, but we do know that If Aus
tralia is to be defended we must defend it
ourselves. When you have to choose between
two evils we think that 1t is better to choose
the lesser. So for the sake of the greater
good of the national defense we are willing
to run the risk of the lesser evil Of the use
of troops in domestic trouble
We have already seen the advantage of
our system of compulsory military service.
When the war broke out we were in much
better condition to offer men to the bon,e
Government than we would have been with.
out 1t. We have already sent 40 OoO so1diers
to Europe and We have more in training
Every man who left Australia was fully
equipped and ready for the field. II tales
tlne to provide the equipment and we ara
not making rifles as fast as we should like
10; but we are making them. Our system.
you know, provides for taking the boys from
u 10 10 years and training them in cadet
corps IN the use of small rifle. They learn
no" 10 shoot and something of the discipline
OF soldier From the age of IS to % thew
are trained with the regular army rIea aro
have to spend certain number of davs each
year In camp in charge of training officers
n for
ncers to command the men in training Thew
will constitute a permanent maid bod,, - A.
structors and commanders"
is the system popular?"
THE young men are delighted with q
They get week or two in camp ever, ,,oar
and camp life pleases them. And tba,, DO
not suffer In their employment because W.
have a law providing penalties for anv avn
ployer VINO discharges a man because Of his
absence on military duty.
Weakness of the United States
We ought to have started military train
ing OF the citizens long ago. We do NOT he
IIeVe IN Australia that the time has come
m"en armed force Is unnecessary, and we he
+'e'e mat II Is better to begin preparation
"a''oHal aerense long time before the
I,-1t" HeeuS ueiehaing' The position of the
anf a.,
d large place in the world. but y,ba, -
tell the nations what you want done tIou
"iIl 90 1t II they care to. and II thew do
NOT care 10 they will pay no attention n
what you say so long as you are unshIa -
ENFORCE your demands. We want to he prs1 -
pared in Australia TO resist invasio, :.
argument would do it we have the man -
who could outargue any enemy tba, r,Iase
appear, But we are afraid that the arn,ss
maj INA, might want to get a footing on our soil
might not understand our language ana Tna
nave IA. the reluctance Of the British to Learn
que NE. ianglage OF any other nation. compul-
oy the extreme socialists, bv tba 1850
ana by those who for religious reasons ,',a, 10 o
leleve IN war We met the objections ~
hose with religious seruples bv nsro,,.. ot
mem t to serve in the medical corps and iS
= ia9 a3,,9a, o,hsr non-eombatant branches OF the
we ignored" 'ne otners