The heavy popular and soldier majority against conscription in Australia contrasts strangely with America's ready acceptance of the principle, and the resolve in the same direction lately taken by Canada. Why should Australia, a more purely British country than Great Britain herself, stand out against the universal obligation to serve the cause of world liberty when America and Canada accept it?

An answer may be found, perhaps, in the enormous geographical remoteness of Australia from the conflict. It may be hard work for Australia to see through the diameter of the each to a war in Europe. But Australia is nearer at least to England's part in the war than we are, and she stands to gain something important in the annexation of Germany's Pacific islands. It will be necessary to go deeper for the reason.

It is more than likely that the answer is found in the political and social structure of Australia. That country is one which has founded not only its social and economic systems, but its politics, on free white labor. All Asiatic and all semi-servile workers have been excluded. There is no foreign or mobile labor. Every worker is a politician, and every politician has at least sprung from the workers. The maintenance of the Commonwealth on its present basis depends on the presence of an industrial body of workingmen in Australia itself. The Labor party, in short, cannot spare any more political units to fight the war--or thinks it cannot. It is a case of Australia first--with the Labor party first in Australia. --Boston Transcript.