Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1917-06-12
CANADA MAY HAVE
CONSUMPTION #
MEASURE PASSES
Republican A. P. Leased Wire1

OTTAWA, Ont, June IA bill for
compulsory military service by Cana
dams between the ages of 20 and As
years was presented in the house of
commons today by Sir robert Borden
The permier said that on January |,
1915, he had authorized the enlistment
of 500 900 men for overseas service and
the offer was taken as a pledge that the
number would be raised. Under the
voluntary system more than 100000
men had been raised and their services
had brought cheer to the British and
glory to Canada. he declared.
Lately the number of men volunteer
ing had fallen off while the demand for
men had increased, Sir Robert ex-
planned. To date Canadians had suf
fered casualties to the number of 49,
900. There were under arms enough
Canadians to supply reinforcements for
some time to come, but for military
reasons he could not say how long.
During the next seven months, to
keep four Canadian army divisions in
the field the enlistment of 10000 men
was needed and to keep five divisions
in the field $4,000 men We're needed. 1t
had been decided that they should be
brought to arms by compulsion.
All Canadians under a law which has
been on the statute books for 40 years,
were liable for the defense of the
country and liable to be sent abroad If
the government decided that in de-
Tending the country they should fight
beyond its boundaries. Today the first
line of Canadian defense was in the
North sea with the British fleet and in
the trenches of France with the Ca
madam divisions. When the Canadians
at Ypres barred the Germans from Ca
lais on April %, 1916, they barred the
Wav also to London to Halifax and to
Montreal.
Il will not shrink" he declared, from
the determination to support and main
tain the Canadian troops at the front.
They have seen their friends and com
rades gasping in torture from poison
gas. They have seen their friends
struck down; they have grimly held
trenches under enemy artillery When
we lacked guns and ammunitlan; they
swept the height of Vimy ridge; they
went forth splendid in their youth.
They will come back grim, determined
men who not once or twice, but fl1ty
times have gone over the. parapet TO
seek their rendezvous with death.
If what is left of 100000 such men
come back to Canada with fierce re-
sentiment in their hearts, conscious
that they have been deserted and be-
trayed. how shall we face them when
they ask the reason? | am not so much
for the day when this will
become law as for the day when these
men return, if it is denied"
The compulsory service bill, as eX-
planned by the prime minister, does not
provide for a general enrolment OF
Canadians of military age, but declares
all Canadians between 20 and 40 years
liable for service and divides them into
ten classes which may be called in ro-
tatiOn.
Numbers one, two and three are UNI
married from 20 to %, from "a to rs,
and from 20 to "a. Glasses four, five
and six have the same divisions of ages,
but are married. Glass seven is I'M
married, from So to IL, and class eight
the same ages are married. Class nine
is unmarried, Al to As, and class ten is
If the same age of class ten, but mar
ried
ror the purpose of the act marriage
after today does not count. The bill
does not state the day it will become
effective. but leaves to the government
when it will determine to apply it. Men
engaged in essential national indus
tries" such as agriculture, are exempt
from service, but they must obtain eX-
by appeal to a tribunal.
When a class is called for service,
every man in that class must respond
or be liable to conviction for desertion
with a penalty of three years imprison-
ment.