Australia, on a poll of the people taken on Thursday
week again rejected Compulsory service by a majority of 1,050,000 to 870,000. The votes of the soldiers and the absent civilians have not all been counted, but are not expected to reverse the decision. The adverse majority was much the same as that recorded in the autumn of last year, when Mr. Hughes first took a Referendum of the Commonwealth on the question of conscription. In the interval Mr. Hughes, as the head of a Labour and Liberal Coalition, has swept the country at a General Election, and has a large majority in both Houses of the Federal Parliament. Mr. Hughes finds himself for the second time in a difficult position. But, as we said a year ago, we cannot, for our part, profess any dis- appointment at the result. To our thinking, the wonder is that, after all that Australia has done in the war, so vast a body of Australian electors should desire to do still more. Australia has sent half .a-millionsplendid volunteers to fight for the Empire and freedom, and has borne the whole expense of equipping and maintaining her magnificent corps. We may be sure that she will continue to help us. The precise method which she chooses to adopt is her own affair.
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