Sydney, Mar. 25.
There is a waiting list of nearly 4,000 men in New South Wales who have submitted their names for enlistment in the Second ALF, it is reported here. Applications are being dealt with in order of submission.
Men are being called up by post for preliminary medical examination, and, if found fit, are given a second and more rigid examination by a board consisting of a physician and a surgeon, before they go into camp. This system, it is hoped, will avoid a larger number of discharges being made after the men have gone into camp, which occurred when recruiting took place last year. Medical officers point out that there may still be some discharges from camp, because the training often reveals physical weaknesses not detected by even the most rigid The chief issue is still the war, It will not be a question of whether Canada should or should not be in the war against Germany. That was decided by the unanimous vote of Parliament last September 6.
The main point is whether efforts of the Mackenzie-King administration, in prosecuting the war, have been satisfactory to the people, or whether they want the responsibility of its prosecution placed in other hands. What the final result tomorrow will be, no one knows, but it was expected that one of the heaviest votes in Canadian history will be polled.
It was last January 18 when the Ontario Premier, Mr. Mitchel F. Hepburn, moved a vote of censure in the Ontario Legislature, which passed 44 to 10, against Mr. Mackenzi Kings war effort. On January 25, the Prime Minister abruptly dissolved Parliament only four hours after it had convened so that he might call an immediate election. He briefly explained to a hostile opposition that had the criticism remained the "personal opinion" of the leaders of the Ontario Legislature, he would have ignored it. Once the criticism became the "official" opinion of the largest province in Canada, he said, it became necessary to place the issue before the entire Dominión.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.