BRITAIN'S CALL TO ARMS

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2267, 29 September 1914, Page 6

BRITAIN'S CALL TO ARMS

M. ;S: RUSH TO THE COLOURS fci?:*y to-arms has;been reK.'.ceiv.ed'ivfth.immense enthusiasm (states |Sfthe",!'Daily>Mail!Vof.August.3). .- :The' p;- throngs yesterday at all the : new]y-open-|:;,..;yed-recruiting stations in London, and tlie ;- : v;l'vifinces were only; 'exceeded- by the re-;;ji!i:;kablo.-crowd; '.'at;. , the .central . office, :O;.' Gfe'ai; Seotlaiid, Yard; where an eager £j : , throng, shepherded by;mounted-police; jv .■ Btretched- in- a- queue .down Whitehall. [s>S,Some .1500.have■ enrolled : in ■ London !; : K'ftlpne.; 'Men■ or-< all glasses-are flocking enrolled.^ j;■^^■ing.-jlp;'iMfβ•;p | Sliions^■o^ ,: r : the King's sbillKv Engineers, 'tradesmen,; • farriers, p. -J electricians,: skilled mechanics; ; clerks, |ftri>; and. cbmmercial •:. travellers , -jostle} the young . street; hawker-■ who p/:-;.',Btraightens.:liis poorly-nourished frame RjpK:in' apathos of patriotism no less, divine iio-than tlieirs. 'So eager.'.was the .-rush jy;:*tKat ."several of tho offices bad by. nii.dpftday .as<;many applicants /as ..they could :; .■■■'.:.- ; ■ if. The; afternoon scene at Wpolwioh-was L>''' .typical, of that: sereiie arid quiet;-spirit f ; ;;.;.Vliich i ;.ha.s'',enn6bled. already, the men ¥& /who Want to eerve .their- country.. The. I-'"''afternoon, wanes. '; Across ', the 'street tSyK gapes;' ■: thirsty of draught alo and ."a : hungrypt glimpse of loaves and'- cheese come to' ;j'.\i merijwLp' havei stood,: in a weary, queue ft - ;sinco early morning.,, A few-yards away ;":V; ; are:food,. drink, and ; a- roystering cpm-||-V;'pany.v..Youvcau slip' ifyou ; like from |y>ybiirV place .'in :-fM. waiting .ranks/ ■■ sate p,■ hunger;; quench thirst",; quell ■ resolution, | : iv;and'go',away'rf-and no one. will; notice orj:;i;'6ajr;yau.:iiay.; -But the; : men : .who are ff;;; waiting 'their ton ,to be enlisted at the Ks: -iJVoolynch recruiting office wait patiently ;';y;,air.3ay. ''• 'If 'each - of them ,were an appli-. it)/ oant _for; some advertised billet of s; • .easy 'living, and high, pay: • he- could f- . ;:net; .be'!' niore' dcggedlv-':-'patient. ir; ; v;:;:'Alid;atall the other recruiting stations ' v.:.of London liis fellow: patriots : are "crowd--K.v.. irig; ; ''Rechiitingl ,, iii'the: words of one ~ '.'of the officials, "is;going like steam." j: : 'lhVtap-room's only, .with :their ,Barr t:; : dolpns,.aiid. pot-wellppers.'. is there a fv.'://trace;.of .Jingoism—or'even .'of' excitcI';.;: m'ent; : ; The youths and men who , are L.i .flocking:, to. enlist 'seem .to., be. soldiers [/■/ already/in .half of the soldier's :.equip- [■'.. raent, the,steadiness of calm. . /.,

I; U ,; .'■; Just the Men we Wanted. !■;•/: They' are "a fine lot—a splendid, use-' t->X.;.'ful lot—just _ the chaps we ■' wanted," rO.^iskid/the , medical: officer at oneWof the i,?\>; stations as (he rested a .moment 1 from !: ■': ;■ his;.,tremendous And'.in-. j). : : ...•'■'. deedv.-tliey,. are.' At Oamberwell'-.; the i ■"-.- ... average;'height- of- the men enlisting is ji■;••■/: ; sft. 9in., and nearly all wa.iting there :; : f : ;,-at noon';yesterday were .athletic, clear-f;c|:-...eyed,'■'.' wide-shouldered,'■•■/and brown-- ~ .. .'■ ■ . : V-..- ''■■"■- : ■■'.[■' '■ '''■ ' ;-\.-.V ':;Tlie,-:■■ medical . examination—rapid y,'■■■:■ .'.thotigh' it must be—is stringently thor- >>?■■-' ough'. For all that.'so.liigh is the stans;. •, dard of the men flocking- to the colour* I--. :;'■ that; there, are few, rejections. - Host f.' ; : ...of. the'disapproved aro'men above age, p;:,'.; ready.' to perjure themselves in their- :,;:'' -passion, to -help:their country, and hoys to .'stretch themsfelves.'out' to f;^- eighteen' and: go away; with" tears in it-;.; ;;- their eyes when' they '.are bowled. out. . p''~-.^. .-.ln the cluster outside tlie Now GroBS:'::v; ri-ioad Station stood a.little slip of a,! felf;'-'-: low; but, although no official byes.were r '; ; on him he kept himself rigidly and marly'■'/.-.. tially ■•upright with his 'chest ..expanded f.-.-.to the. last stretch' of lungs, and the ;i ':•-..fire'of a forlpne hope shone ill his,brave, r;.V. 'bluo eyes and on liis ifa-ir young face. f :.; -."You.;are' only, sixteen," hazarded '. an ;-"■: orilpoker.-: "Yes," ho ; admitted, in a (..:•'. whisper, "bnf I would swear anything ; ; - ■■:itb'h'avc a go at that: Kaiser!" Tliat.is :.;.iiv.-what .they all say. Tliere.-is. a cold ;■■'.'■■.:•. passion' in it. At all the recruiting i ,:: stations of Londdh one .heard not a IV..'.'-word of racial hatred,' not a;curse or a iV:!. , gibe' at the. German people, '.lf'half ;.. : : tlie'meh who. are joining 'the- flag aro f; i:/doing'so for tho love of :their:country ■ ';■-.'-, onesmight, indeed think that',another ■; :. ; half are joining in. a passion for human-, -.. ' .ity ,'at Jar£o. : •"■■■ ; ; '. ,: -. i> Over-the road 'from. Cambcrwell Town ? . Hall: recruiting office is. the improvised ;■--, ofSce of the British Red Cross Society., f.;.: Nurses aro rapidly enrolling.' haJls' are !•::. , :already arranged ..for 'hospitals, .and r ..bedding is being A register, ' ■■' of Jiouscholders is being made'. who' i j'■■would ,1)0 willingitc take" in' : ;wounded; i : * and av'canvasf. has resulted in shoals j , :; ">ot postcards offering bedding, -sanitary ,' -.. .appliances,, and other .requisites; And ';■■■' "'}'. one;of the orgnnise'rs.said that from thp ; .'-'.-y, homes of the iworest of tho poor are ' '■'•: •'■ comirigvoffers of their, little househoV 1 :;■:',goods, , ThioSjequnlly :witlr the recniit- ,;-. -, r !iig,'.is,all a sign of.thegi:eat and desp ■ ... devotion that is into.the.coun- !:".'•'.': try.-- ; lt is. silent;- non-vocal, nndomon- • : — ; -. ;> ■:'/■'■,'■-.-.'■ . •■