Where the News Ends

...Thi* perhaps helped to explain hia willingness to take Over the post of Defense Minister on the understanding that the voluntary method should be continued in recruiting for overseas aervice...

...Mr, King put hit side of the case most forcefully in the following two sentences in a latter which he sent to Col...

...Where the News Ends By WILLIAM HENRY CHAMBERLIN Canada's Conscription Crisis THE political crisis that has boon gaining- headway for weeks in Canada over the issue of conscription for overseas aervice has now forced itself onto th* front pages of United States newspapers, although Canadian affair* usually attract I*** than their proper share of attention on thia aid* ef th* border...

...Relations between Ralston and McNaughton had not boon cordial;- tho General resented the diversion to Italy of part of tho balanced Canadian fore* which he had built up in England...

...Surely the CIO unions do not farOr giving up tho right to strike or any other weapon with which they can defend the interest* of their members...

...Th* Prime Minister wss unwilling to accept Balaton's recommendation, nnd the Defense Minister resigned...

...Rut it feel* that in the present emergency our older federation hat taken ths right line...

...One of tho few English-Canadian Liberals who aided with the great French-Canadian leader, Sir Wilfrid Laurior, in opposing conscription waa Mackonai* King...

...Although King is an estate political loader, tho present erieis doea not promi** woH for hia political future...

...The Minister of Defense, Col...

...During the first quiet month* of th* war there was practically no sentiment for conscription...

...Whether tbe adoption of conscription waa militarily worthwhile under tho circumstances ia debatable...

...It haa boon auggaated that Dewey'* chanc* of winning th* Presidential election waa irretrievably lost when the attempt to outflank the northern end of the German defenaiv* line by landing parachute troop* at Arnheim failed...

...It is retaining' ite freedom to act and it taking tbe lead in rebuilding the free trade union movement of the world...

...By planning for th* earliest possible rehabilitation of European unions, th* AFL it directly contributing to th* creation of a democratic Europe...

...The French-Canadian votert held it responsi bio for tho hated measure...

...The Blec shewed ceneMerable atrength in Federal parliament by election* In 1843, bat proved weak in tho Quebec provincial election of Mat H*Mr, Had King held,out againat conscription for ovor-aoa* aervice he might have won back the Quebec Support which had been apilling away from him...

...In til* word* of Matthew Woll, the Federation "recognise* ¦that aa important factor in the maintenance of high wag** and working standards in our country ia the establishment of high wage* aad working standards throughout the world...

...Sir Robert Borden, the Conservative Prime Minister, won over most of the Englith-tpeaikng Liberals, formed a coalition government and won an election, fought with great bitterness, on the issue of.lntro-ducing conscription...

...An Editorial American Labor loorVs Abroad The labor conveations at New Orleans and Chicago both took action looking to international cooperation...

...Bat tha diff*r*ib|p between th* move* that war* mad* indicates a wide golf in political points of view...

...Now it aeems that thi* war may bo aa harmful to the Liberals in thia French speaking province, as tha last War was to tho Conservatives, A strong French nationalist group may appear in tha next parliament and make the formation of a stable Cabinet even more difficult that it hat seemed likely to be in the past...

...Conscription was introduced for service in Canada...

...The same statement can safely be nude with rifer*ee» te th* great labor organisations of Great Britain...

...It la doing what it can to see to it that oar victory on the field ef bettl* ia followed by a victory in the social and economic organiaation of the war-ravaged nations...

...The New Loader hat often criticised the AFL leadership for its conservatism...

...In the spring of 1942 an interesting plebiscite was held on ths question whether the people would favor releasing tha Government from ite former pledge not to introduce conscription for overseas service...

...Ralston after the latter had resigned: "There haa net boon a time sine* tb* war began that k haa not been reeegnlaed that resort to con ¦criptlen for aervice overseas would occasion the moat strife controversy that ceuM art** in Canada...

...Ahead lie further complication* in a Canadian political prospect that waa already uncommonly confuted...

...The British unions sre, in a sense, reflecting an official policy...

...French-speaking Quebec was almost unanimous in it* opposition...

...It waa gen orally assumed that Canada's contribution in the war would take the form of volunteer unite, along with sub at ant ial help with foodstuff* and munitions...

...One can only understand the reluctance of Prime Minister Mac-koncie King to enforce all-out conscription, on the same basis aa in the United States, if one takes into account the racial bitterness that ha* boon associated with that question aver since th* last war...

...And he gave way, at leatt in part, in his opposition to conscription by signing an order-in-council providing that 19,000 of tho better trained homo defense forces should be made available as overseas reinforcement*, n" ¦ No doubt there will have been further developments before this column can appear in print...

...The Prime Minister obtained the passage of a bill authorising conscription, but up to the present time has made' no ute of this power...

...No one can suppose that any large number of CIO members, except Communists, approve of government-controlled union...

...but French-Canada voted overwhelmingly in the negative...

...By 1917 tho bottom of the manpower barrel was ia tight...

...In ao far as this indicates a definite break with labor isolationism, we mutt applaud it Thit ttep is, on the other hand, tied in with development* which are fraught with danger both for th* labor movement and for international relations-It is easy to understand why British lsboritel desire closer connections with official labor representatives el the Soviet Union...

...It is directly in' Una with our democratic War aims...

...It has for many years loyally participated ia the IFTU, and at th* New Orleans convention it has given now proof of ite acceptance of international reaponaibUity But it will not go to London...

...Many thousands of young French-Canadians, accustomed te the rough outdoor life ef pioneer farmers, lumberjacks and hunters, took to th* "bush," to tho hill* and f or**U and sat out the war there...

...J. L. Ralston, returned from a trip to the European war theatre with n sens* of the urgency of thi* situation and recommended that tho Government send abroad some of the 79,000 Canadian soldier* who had been conscripted for horn* defense, but had refuted to volunteer for overseas aarvice...

...I can think of aa course ef action fraaght with greater danger te our wnr ePert—te say nothing of tho unity aad atrength of Canada today and for generations to come—than a general election at thi* let* atag* of war en tho conscription iasae...

...Tha question whether to reeort to conscription became not to much a party issue at a racial issue...

...Mc Naught on had been commander of tho Canadian Army in England until ho was obliged to resign hi* command because of ill health earlier in tho year...

...This fact ia itself indicate* a common awareness of the importance of world condition...

...KlNG called a special session of Parliament to discuss the question and hear the views of General McNaughton...

...Thia led to * threatened shortag* of Canadian infantry reinforcement...

...Under tbe combined system of conscription for horn* defense, volunteering for abroad, Canada raised over 900,000 men and women for various branches, of whom only 70,000 refused to volunteer for combat duty across the ocean...

...Hi* la at minute yielding en the principle of eonacriptien haa embittered Quebec and may well lead to a revival ef the Bloc Popolairo, a French nationaliat movement that grew out of the otraggl* for a "No" vet* in the plebiscite...

...In announcing its resolution to rate* $1,000,000 to assist m th* rehabilitation of union* in wartora countries, the AFL give* practical evidence of a una* of world solidarity...

...The fro* trade union* ar* everywhere the prize* enemies of dictator...

...The an awer was affirmative in the proportion of about 62 to 88...

...Th* newspapers which war* politically opposed to King piessed th* issue, raised th* emotional appeal that Canadian* war* dying overseas for lack df adequately trained reinforcements while 70,000 "sbm-bias" (a derogatory term for conscript* who had hot volunteered for overseas duty) were sitting comfortably in Canada...

...The AFL, bp staying dear of this new organisation and finding other means of demonstrating ite solidarity with European labor, is reasserting its position as a part of a trade union movement frto from government domination...

...Th* AFL refuses to collaborate in this project...

...There was some active and more pasaiva r**i*t*nc* in this predominantly French-speaking Province...

...But th* storm occasioned by Ralston'* resignation did not die dawn...

...And it was a deathblow to tho Conservative Party in the province of Quebec...

...Bat for the present these unions are going along with a movement which is in the direction' of a sacrifice *f labor's independence...

...Thar* were serious riots in tho old eity of Quebec when conscription waa introduced...

...Canada started out in the Firtt World War with a volunteer system...

...If ths CIO finally works with this new'setup, it may find itself ia an environment which is unfavorable to free' trade unionism...

...Tbe action of the CIO in taking part In th* conference called by th* British anions alao shews courage and imagination...

...Ne matter what tha Communist line may be, the CIO can be depended upon in th* end to stand up as militant representative* of the workers' right* and interests...

...Tho pact between the British Government and the USSR looks to close future political, military and industrial cooperation...

...The CIO is signsliaing ite determination to step oat in the international Bold by sending delegates to th* tandon conference...

...Back of this crisis it a complex pattern of racial schism, of sharply different attitude* toward tha war...

...However thi* may be, Mackensl* King'* hop* of ***ing Canada through th* war without a major crisis an the conscription issue was certainly dashed by this same development, which assured a protraction of the war into th* winter month* nnd additional heavy casualties for all th* Allied armies, Canadian a* well aa British and American...

...Tho fall of France changed thit ptychology of a relatively comfortable wsr...

...By a typically shrewd political maneuver the Prime MinUter obtained the services of General A. G. L. Mc-Naughton as Colonel Rslston's successor...

...Th* raising ef this sum for such a purpose goes even further...

...From the political side it waa a serious blow to understanding between English-speaking and French-speaking Canadian*, never vary cordial at any time...

...And thia it a point to remember in considering King'a intense unwillingness to relinquish the volunteer system for oversea* service in th* present war...