COMPULSION, OR VOLUNTARY ENLISTMENT?

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2463, 17 May 1915, Page 5

COMPULSION, OR VOLUNTARY ENLISTMENT?

TREMENDOUS ISSUES MAY DECIDE ! Lotidfln, May 14. Lord Haldane's (Lord, Chancellor) remark in the House of Lords that the gravity ,of the situation' might possibly lead tne Government., to.,rccon6ider the position in regard to .voluntary.'enlistment was in reply to Lord Middleton's suggestion that the -voluntary' system had failed. Lord Hajdaiie added; The nation is fighting for.its, life. In ordinary circumstances' it would be difficult to depart from, .voluntary service, but the Government-may." find that it must reconsider the situation in the light of tremendous necessities. "We were not face to face with it, nor was it probable at present, he added. It might come, but it would be well to remember that the voluntary system .had given the Army a quality of soldier who compared with anything put in the field. At the time the War Office was full of recruits. Lord Lansdowne (Leader of the Unionists in the House of Lords) said that the House had heard with the greatest satisfaction the momentous announcement that the Government was prepared to reconsider the whole position of the situation in regard to recruiting. Many had felt for a long time that such, an announcement ought to be made. Ho understood that Lord Haldane's motive was to prepare the way for any measures which might be necessary in the event of the prolongation of the war beyond our present military resources, Tather than suggest an early resort to compulsion.