Daily Kennebec journal., 1916-01-06

tinuously for an hour
1t was q speech marked not for its
impa ssioned orator%. but rather for
its calmness and the analysis where
BY the Premier assembled reasons
showing the compelling necessity for
resort To this step.
The applause was frequent While
the opposition at times expressed noisy
dsapproval Most Of the speech was
devoted to a clear exposition OF the
details Of the measure, which the
Premier declared was no abandonment
of the principle OF voluntary service
in which he firmly believed. but mere
" a Temporary measure limited TO the
duration Of the war and confined to a
comparatively small class Of unmar-
RED men. who had not responded VOL
UNFAIRLY to the countrys needs. Il
would have been glad 10 do without
this bill" said the. Premier. My con-
hden. expectation had been that no
such measure would he necessary, bu,
that hope has been disappointed and
now consider this bin a necessity.
Keeping His Pledge
The premier particularly emphasized
the pledge he had given Of resort 10
cunscription if the voluntary enlist
ments under the Derby plan did not
give adequate results As q matter OF
national interest as we'll as eXpedien-
cv. h. regarded the time as having ar
rivd for keeping that pleuge.
i mean to keep my promise. he
concluded. and let it not be said that
we dallied or delayed in carrying out
an honorable Obligation.
Sinon's Opposition
sir John simon was greeted heartily
~, NJ rose 10 combat the Premiers s
contentious. II" ecxpreSsed regret at
ieaNIn. tine cabinet and paid tribute
To Mir. .Asquith, to whom he owed such
success as hc had achieved. hut. he
said. no personal considerations could
Glt1cr li'r from opposing this measure
which presented The supreme uestion
OF abandoning the principle Of volun-
tary service, one of the traditions OF
Britain's freedom. and substituting the
Prussian system Of miltarism.
This bin should be resisted he
exclaimed while a wave of cheers
greeted his statement. He r,aintain-
ed that Premier Asruith had been
chiefly moved in his desire to keep a
pledge, whereas this was q proposition
iTYoiring Il reversal of the entire pol
ICY of the government and those chiefly
dcsrou> # having the pledge kept
Were the men who mad for wears taunt-
cd the Premier with lack of good faith.
\ chorus of boots greeted the speak
erted by The Harms worth Press"
He maintained that the results of the
hin. if enacted. would he a negligible
addition to the fighting force. The real
danger of the measure. he asserted.
was that it committed the Prime Min
lister 10 the principle of compulsory
service and once this conceded. no one
could ;eIl where the new policy would
end
Don't condemn your own younS
mem" concluded the former home sec
retary dramatically. Don't pay this
compliment TO T'russian militiarism.
Don't surrender one of the real herit-
ages of the English people for mess
of pottage.'
Labor Party Attitude
The first indication of the attitude
Of the Labor party vas given by John
Hodge, vice chairman of the party,
who said that the trade council as
sem bling n London tomorrow would
be the greatest conference Labor has
ever held. with a thousand delegates
specially commissioned to pass upon
conscription He was unable to say
what its decision would be- but warn
ed the Premier that if the congress
was against the bill, it could not hope
TO succeed.
Labor. he added, had always op-
posed conscription and even Of the
measure passed. no one could tell the
after effects when the government
sought to put il into execution.
The attitude of the large Irish Ma
tionalist membership in the House OF
Commons was disclosed by John Red
mond. who expressed regret that the
Nationalist party could support the
measure. Irishmen, he said, were pre-
pared to make every sacrifice to bring
the war TO an end but they did not
believe compulsory service necessary
to attain that result the proposed Dill
was a great departure from the es-
tablished principle of government and
he considered that the Premier had
been far too scrupulous in keeping his
pledge by risking such a departure
from the established government pol
icy.
Andrew Bonar Law. secretary for
colonies, was received with cheers as
he declared the bill was absolutely
necessary if the war was to be won.
Referring to the possibility Of the
defeat Of the measure. Mr.. Bonar Law
asserted that the House must make mp
it's mind, if it decided that there was no
national need for the bill, that It's
[nroceedinRs must be conducted with