London, Jan. 12.
In the debate on the Second Reading of the Compulsory Military Service Bill Mr. Ellis Grifith (L. Anglesey) emphasized that he could: not understand the attitude of the trish Party and the Labour Party. compulsions namely the boycott and Ives used measures of
strikes, to compel men to join their unions but when men were compelled to join the Army they called it treason (Loud cheers).
Mr. Griffith said that he had been told thet he was acting against the traditions of his Party. He cared nothing for the: traditions of his Party but he cared for the interest of his country (Loud cheers), Lord Kitchener had said that the men were necessary for victory. Did the opponents of the Bill not want victory? (Cheers).
Mr. John Dillon, Nationalist M. P. for East Mayo, declared that Ireland desired to maintain adequate numbers for the Army. He was convinced that Ireland would have no cause to be ashamed of the-part she played in the war.
Sir John Simon emphasized the desire of opponents of the Bill t6 see the nation as strong and as united as possible. They opposed the Bill because they did not believe it would conduce to this, but if it pass ed he hoped its opponents would unite in seeing that it was effective.
Mr. Asquith fully agreed with the academic arguments brought for ward by Sir John Simon on the evils of compulsion and the superior rity of voluntary service, but Bir John Simon had lost sight of the actual state of affairs. "We are at war, a war in which not only our existence but all the ideals mentioned by Sir John Simon are at _stake,"* He appealed to the House even now to pass the Bill without dissent, which would be the most effective blow possible at this moment for the victory of our cause (Loud cheers). Mr. Asquith said that it was not intended that membership of Anti—
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Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.