A considerable number of Western Australian Labor members supported conscription, although the party's platform was opposed to it.
As a result, on 28 October 1916, a referendum was held to decide whether the community of Australia supported conscription.
He supported the Vietnam war and military conscription.
Most of his party, especially the trade unions, did not support conscription.
The results of the plebiscite seemed to strengthen the position of ministers who supported conscription.
However he supported conscription again in 1915, and proclaimed it should be implemented along with the "conscription of wealth".
During World War I he supported conscription.
In contrast he supported conscription, because he saw no more detestable domination than that which the Germans were trying to impose.
Instead, the Labour Party failed to support conscription at all, a decision which (with benefit of hindight) seems profoundly mistaken.
Anderson supported conscription and also believed that anti-conscription opinions ought to be suppressed.