War Precautions Regulations 1915 (Amendment)

Overview

The War Precautions Regulations 1918, introduced under the War Precautions Act 1914-1916, were enacted to address the need for increased recruitment efforts during the First World War. The Governor-General, acting on the advice of the Federal Executive Council, issued these regulations to mandate that owners, lessees, and managers of moving picture theatres, as well as managers of all exhibitions of moving pictures, exhibit recruitment films supplied by the State Recruiting Committee or its agents free of charge for up to ten minutes per programme. Additionally, these regulations required the venues to allow recruiters to make a speech not exceeding five minutes in length while the recruitment film was being shown. The objective was to ensure that recruitment efforts were effectively supported by public platforms, thereby facilitating the enlistment of more troops for the war effort. The regulations aimed to create a compliant environment where recruitment activities could be smoothly carried out with minimal obstruction.

Scope and Application

The War Precautions Regulations 1915, as amended by Statutory Rule No. 73 of 1918, extend their application to the owners, lessees, and managers of all moving picture theatres, as well as the managers of all exhibitions of moving pictures within the Commonwealth of Australia. These regulations are designed to facilitate recruitment efforts during wartime, specifically requiring the exhibition of recruitment films and allowing for speeches by recruiters during movie screenings. The regulation mandates that recruitment films be shown free of charge for a period not exceeding ten minutes per programme, and permits recruiters to deliver speeches of up to five minutes while such films are being shown. Failure to comply with these requirements constitutes an offence under the War Precautions Act 1914-1916. The regulation is enforced by the State Recruiting Committee or any person acting under its authority, thereby establishing a clear framework for the promotion of wartime recruitment through controlled media channels.

Key Provisions

The key operative sections of this legislative instrument involve Regulation 41d, which is newly inserted into the War Precautions Regulations 1915 under the War Precautions Act 1914-1916. This regulation mandates that the owners, lessees, managers of all moving picture theatres, as well as managers of all exhibitions of moving pictures, must comply with specific requirements if so directed by the State Recruiting Committee or any authorised person (41d(1)). Firstly, they are required to exhibit a film for recruiting purposes provided by the State Recruiting Committee or an authorised person free of charge, for a period not exceeding ten minutes in total during each programme (41d(1)(a)). Secondly, during the exhibition of such a film, they must allow a person employed in obtaining recruits to deliver a speech appealing for recruits, with the speech not exceeding five minutes in duration (41d(1)(b)). The obligations imposed by Regulation 41d are clear and direct. Owners, lessees, and managers of moving picture theatres, as well as managers of exhibitions, must ensure compliance with the requirements set forth by the State Recruiting Committee or any authorised individual. This includes the exhibition of the specified recruiting film and the allowance for a recruitment speech during the screening (41d(1)). The regulation emphasises that these obligations are mandatory when directed by the State Recruiting Committee or an authorised person, and any failure to comply constitutes a breach of the Act. Any individual or entity that fails to exhibit a film in accordance with the regulation, or that prevents, hinders, or obstructs the delivery of a speech in accordance with the regulation, commits an offence under the War Precautions Act 1914-1916 (41d(2)). The penalties for such breaches are not explicitly detailed in the regulation itself but would typically be governed by the broader provisions of the War Precautions Act. Generally, the Act provides for various civil and criminal consequences for non-compliance, including fines and potential imprisonment, depending on the severity of the breach and the specific provisions of the Act.