New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-04-15
Consumption Or Confusion
By HWY c. Douglas
Formerly Editor Of The Sydney Times

ing safe" Hence the great national policy,
"White Australia" Australians took stock
of their resolrces IN men. They saw th0t
their finest already had been drained away
-.n the 100000. They feared to reduce
their man power further by sending more
men overseas. thus leaving their country at
the mercy Of an Asietic foe Moreover.
they resented the GLORIOUS mistake" CT
Gclipoli, though they had preserved LOYAL
silence.
These things. then, defeated conscrption
in Australia. and these things show that in
Australia local issues. rather than the breed
general principle Of conscrrt.on. we're at
stake in the plcbiscite.
The Other Side
There was another side -;he powerful,
earnest minority that. laying aside petty
provincialism voted for conscription "a the
only real democratic cypedent, since it in
,ists upon equality Of sacrifice and sery'ce,
as we'll as equality of opportunity On this
side were the women who had given their
husbands. sons. brothers and sweethearts.
while slackers stayed at EO,ne in sheltered
safety behind the living rampant Of :h-'r
fellows bodies On this side we're fe
warm-hcarted. the generous. the hight nd
Cd. who felt :. a burning shame that the
country finest. bravest. most patriotic mcn
should face the great sacrifices Of TOR
own volition. while the unworthy, the COW
course. music hall. stadium and billiard
saloon, stayed safely at home and "hoggad'
the good things left behind by the exodus
of those blind and deaf 20 all save the
reckoning Of duty and the call OF horer
On this side were the economic experts, who
saw the danger resulting from the hap
hazard taking Of men for the firing trenches
who could better serve their nation in other
placee-a thing impossible under con'tfip-
ton.
BY strange IRONY of fate. Austria ian
pro-conscriptoniSts used as one of their
big arguments Lincoln's compulsory drafts
in the American Civil War. And now Amer
lean .-conscriptionists use Australia's re-
lection as one Of their big arguments.
talked over the matter one day with
DR.. Mary Booth. one OF The Common
ID IS
"Thc only thing about conscripton as
proposed herc Is that it doesn't go far
enough she asserted. with a ring of pas
sionate conviction Il would have married
men subject to draft. too-even more than
single men. in fact"
"Why?" 7 cried in surprise 81 thought
that mos. women opponents of conscrption
a.. Ro
sides. is il not an economic fallacy for the
state 20 conecript married men,
"l am very sure that it Is not" Her reoly
was prompt and IN tone Of tinality. a
mans highest duty 20 the state is TO becoi"e
the father Of the citizens Of the next gen-
GRAFTON That duty the married man has
performed, or, If he has not, then ne is I'M
worthy Of protection. anyhow. That duty
the single man has not done BY con-
scrpting single men and excepting married
men you make 1t impossible for him 70
do it,"
II was a strikingly new viewpoint to me.
! give Il here merely 20 show how far some
cultured women Of country-held up as
an example Of democracy's adverse jrdg-
:
New Zealand's Solution
Kew zealand cannot be accused OF aay
leaning toward in,rcEchod privilege q, d
outocracy. Aad New Zealand has had 70
adop, conscription, though here, again,
people was torn by interreeine strife wien
il should have presented united front TO
the foe Each district has to supply
given number Of men when levy is made
T. that number do not come forward yolun-
tar.iy. ballot IS taken. and those upon whom
popular choice falls must &c. A. have
aid Canada g. steadily approaching scme
decision England after trying The h"f
measure o. the Derby scheme after SHIFTS
and wiles" worthy OF Odyssels, had to rec
ognize compassion.
In conclusion, one remembers this fact:
The Liberties Of the world are now being
defended by the conscript armies Of France,
Britain. Italy ard Russia