§ 40 and 41. Mr. CURRIEasked the Under-Secretary of State for War (1) whether he will publish as a White Paper or in popular leaflet form reliable information which would enable the people of this country to consider for themselves the principal features of the systems of enlistment in use by our Allies, by our enemies, and by our own Colonies, and how far the precautions taken by the French system against placing disproportionate strain upon certain trades, localities, and families, as compared with others, are capable of application to this country; and (2) whether he will publish in some easily accessible form the whole or part of Lord Kitchener's advice to the Australian Government in 1910 as to Army enlistment, a brief account of the Parliamentary discussion of the same, and copies of the relative resolutions passed by the Australian Labour Congress?
§ Mr. TENNANTI would refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer which was given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister to the hon. Member for County Cork 555 (East) on the 21st September. The preparation of all the information suggested for publication as a White Paper would take some time, and I am not sure that the labour and expense would be justified unless a strong general desire in this sense were expressed by the House. As regards the latter part of the question No. 40, I am not sure that the information available is complete, or that it is capable of being presented briefly in a form that would be readily undertsood by the public. Nor do I feel confident that its application to the conditions which prevail in this country would be otherwise than misleading.
§ 42. Mr. CURRIEasked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether he has received from the Edinburgh and District Trades Council copies of two resolutions passed by it on the subject of Army enlistment, the one in favour of Government regulation, and the other, of later date, in favour of the continuance of the existing system; whether these resolutions state the majorities by which they were passed; and whether the council asked to be supplied with further information to assist it in arriving at a final opinion?
§ Mr. TENNANTI have seen two resolutions emanating from the Independent Labour Party, Edinburgh (West) Branch, and from the Labour party, Edinburgh Branch, respectively, but I have not seen the two resolutions referred to in the question. The two resolutions I have seen were in favour of the voluntary system.