Melbourne, Sept. 20.
There is little question that the cable message sent by Mr. Lloyd George to the Dominions with reference to the position in the Near East came like a thunderbolt upon the Australian public, and, while the reply of Mr. Hughes, to the effect that Australia desired 10 be associated with the British Empire and would, if required, send a contingent of troops, is generally approved, there is an under-current of resentment that matters have been allowed to drift into so dangerous a position. "he predominant feeling was clearly one of resentment that the League of Nations had so far proved itself unable to influence events. Australia pays towards it what considered an' extravagant yontribution, considering the smallness of its population, and all it has learnt so far is that several nations have not paid their dues,, and that there has been bitter and uncalled-for criticism concerning Australia's share in the carrying out of the: mandate in regard to the phosphate island of Nauru. If we are to pay and be criticized unfairly, and yet find ourselves unprotected from war because of the inability of the League to function, it is not surprising that the sudden gathering of the war-cloud should leave us disgruntled. That certainly is the dominant feeling, though our determination to stand by the Empire remains unshaken.
To follow the Labour policy would, of courss, be to do nothing of any use, except to deprive the empire of any help we could give at the moment when it was most required. One member, who is an avowed Bolshevik, declared that the purpose of the war scare was to prepare the way for a khaki election and he was subjected to a good deal of ridicule when the Prime Minister asked if it was seriously contended that Australia had engineered the war between Turkey and Gr eco and had stirred up the Kemalists to threaten the neutral zone of the Dardanelles solely to influence the elections which may take place in this country within the next six months. There has been an uncalled-for mass of volunteers for. active service, especially amongst the soldiers returned from the late war.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.