URGENT CALL FOR MORE MEN

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2558, 4 September 1915, Page 9

URGENT CALL FOR MORE MEN

LORD KITCHENER'S APPEAL

GREAT SPEECH AT THE GUILDHALL

ARMS'' READY FOR ALL

■ Ttto Kitchener's great speech', fat tho'Guildhall • en July-9' was'that the" Empire needs more men andineeds tlicm now.' • : Tho • urgency: of the need is shown; by his statement that even men: engaged in Britain on work connected with ( the\military forces must, ask themselves whether ''howoveryiesponsiblo and ho\\ - ever 'caimot bo' replaced by those 'of ,'mory unfit.'for active : '-' service 'or of women.- ■•That tlie'.appeali was jaddresseiiiequally to the - • overseas Dominions as well as to-.Britain. was by . Lord Kitchener's opening words:.; "I can bo suro that iwords uttered in the v.\ ; 'heart.of London'.will be.spread broadcast throughout; the Empire." '"When Lord made this .appeal Britain had under arms 'approximately'67.,ooo ;mei|...i)er mill ion. of population, audi Now Zealand 26,000 per million. _ ,

•' Earl--Kitchenor,? "Seeretaiyv.of State i. for War, at the Guildhall, London, on I . July 9, inaugurated, another great re- ., ..cruiting campaign, making,:as he'said, "a larger'demand on\tho :resources, of . v British' manhood." The appeal was :re- ■ ; ceivod with enthusiasm;' ■.■■■ :■.. .The progress of -.the : War Minister ' through the -. City- was: something of a personal triumph.' In Whitehall, along the Embankment, and down. Queen < Vior - toria Street .to thoiGuildhallthisspirit • ■ :;ofi public confidence; w:ys manifest-.to a > remarkable degree.: Business men rush- - : : ©d from- their- offices to join the crowds, 1 ! . - 'people stood oil .the tops of the motor-; • . - : :• buses and cheered him a-s. ho, passed, the ..City- girls 'and ; waitresses", waved their handkerchiefs and aprons" " ; . i! . Lord Kitchener, m -$ie; blue: undress 1 uniform of a Field-Marshal, took ;tlie ■■ ; platform- carrying''liis cap.', and gloves . -in one handrand Jiis typewritten-speech >' L .:;:.\ in the other, and sitting, noxt to tip : / Lord Mayor faced a publio ovation; which few men have over enjoyed in the v.; Guildhall.'' -After 'ho had adjusted .his' : spectacles and: joinedv in ' singing two . verses of the ' National Anthem, .'. his ' ;v " voice beingplainly? heard :.oh ■ • form, -he''stepped -forward .'arid sorted ' . out his speech 1 on the reading desk. He stood there unmoved, .firmly, ing the sides of the desk, never moving a muscle for several minutes while: the / .audience cheered again and again. : Lord Kitchener, • who- was received :'with; algreat';, outburst:;-.of. -'.xheieririg," said: ; i: - -Hitherto';' -thei'.remark's .that-; I have ' -found, it ■ necessary: to Vmako! .on,' the' s'tib-' ; > ject li'aiye : ; dressed to the House of Lords, but I • '.. have.felt that' the. time had. riow'»cbme' - when I may' .with advantage availmyself: of '.the ■: courteous.; invitation 1 of the ' lord Mayor,to appear among you, x -and / in this historic Guildhall make another , and a, larger demand o'itlie resources of British manhood; Enjoying, as I do the priviloge of a Freeman of.-this jgrealv City, I can be sure that words uttered - in the heart;of London will be spread - broadcastithroughout ithe Empire.' ■ ■ -'Our.; thoughts,naturally., turn to tho* splendid 'efforts . of .-tho Overseas Dofroni tho :earli-' . : . est : days;of »tho--,(yar:have;ranged-"thom-the, Mother. , . ; Country armed forces - ;' closely. b'y' the ; : gallant Cana- ... dians : who_ . fighting alongside : : ttieir , British .(andijFrenclr- comrades. ;iri !p\Flande'rs, and; biro- thore presenting a solid .and impenetrable . front'- against •tho enemy. -.y.-..- •. In'tho Dardanelles/the Australians -, . arid. New Zealandera combined with the 'same - elements: have.• already accom-r plished a feat-of arms/of/almost, uaexl-;.-'; ampled: brilliancy,' and are- pushing the • campaign'to a successful conclusion. In . each or these great Dominions'ne«' : and, ' largoi. contingents- are being- prepared, /'. whilo Sditli Africa, not. content • with \ , tho' successful; i conclusion of; the • ardu-. , , ous campaign in South-'West 'Africa, is; now offering largo ; forces; 16 .engage; the enemy in tho main theatre of w;ar/ ; " .Strengthened--, by ! the unflinching sup-_ . : port "of our fellow, citizens across the • seas, we seek to develop our.own military.. resources' to their utmost limits, and.this:is tho purpose which brings us tegethei- to-day." > ; Napoleon, when: asked what were the ' ■three things necessary-for'a successful- ) war, replied,, VMo_noy,,money,- money.'! : >,To-day w«.vary ; . that phrase,, and say ;''Men, matemlj and' money."' r- . ; Asregards: the supply ;of money for. '• the; war, ; the' Government- are ■riegotiat-:' r-. irig a new loan, tho. marked success -of which ,is greatly duo to the very favour- ; - able response-made •by:-.tho. City;.; '.'7- .To .meet. the nQed for' material, the 'energetic manlier in which the'new Min- : istry • of Mniiitioiis is coping witK Hhe" : many difficulties which confront the pro-. , . duction of ; our. great requirements afi/ . 'fordsr'abundant- proof . that this ' - very, v . ;. important ■;"work; is . being, dealt; with .in 1 . -a highly .satisfactory- manner. .. There still.remains the vital need for . men to_.fill the ranks of our: armies, and it . is -to emphasise this point, and .;. \: hringv it,. horiie, to . the. people jof this eouiitry that': I ..have,.: come' hero ; this ;; V:afternoon. ! ' i V;-0?-V::! ; '-'.- ! X /The Outlook. ,/When;l;t-ook lip the offico that I hold! , ,; --lydid'so ■ as ..'a :.soldier,'; iiot' as' a politi- > cisn; and •I'Avarriedtmy'fdlow-couritry-1 men that .the' war would be not only arduous, but long. In one of my earh.est : statements made "after-, the,, begin- : ; ning of the war, I said that I should'! require "More'men; and still more, ; •until -the. enemy is crushed-."-.- >T'Tepoat'„ that istatement-to-day with even greater • insistence. All the reasons which led 1 me to think in August, 1914, that this • war would be a orolonged one, hold good 1 at the present time. It is true we are A l/i an immeasurable better situation v. now than ten months ago, but the posi- :•:". tlon to-day is at least; as -serious as it' was then. . . Tho thorough preparedness of -Germany, due to her strenuous efforts, sus- ' tained at higli .pressure for - some -forty , 'years, has issued in a military organioa- ; ' ■ ition as complex in- character' as it is - perfect • in machinery. , : Never before has any-nation been 'so ejaboratcly organised for imposing her , wjll ■ upon : the other nations - of tho .-•wwld, and her vast.-resources.of mili- . tary strength are wielded by an- auv tocraoy; which is peculiarly adapted forj ' th 6. condnct-'of war. .. It : is true tha-t ■ Germany's long preparatioa has en-, ."' abled ,her to utilise her whole resources from the very 'commencement of tho war, _\viiile our policy is .0110 of gradually increasing our effective forces. It might,be said .with truth; that: she mnst .': decrease, while we - siust; increase. .;' - . Our .voluntary system, which, as-you well know, has been tho deliberate choice of. the English people, has rendered it that our forces in/peace time should he of . relatively slender dimen- I sions,; with , a capacity for potential expansion,- 'and we have' habitually relied on timo -being allowod us to increase our armed forces during the progress of hostilities. . The onening of tho war ■ found usitbereforo-in our normal military situation, and it became our immediate task—concurrently with the dispatch of'the'first Expeditionary Force — ! to raise new - armies, somo of whijh

•have already mado their -presence .felt: at the front, and to provide for a strong . i and steady stream of reinforcements to maintain our army in tho . field at full, fighting strength.",'. ! No Llmitatiens Now on the Call fer 1 Men.-' I From the first, there has been a satisfactory and constant flow . of recruits, and the falling off.in'numbers recently apparent in rccruiting returns has been, . I bolievo, in- great degree . due to circumstances : of: a .temporary character. It would be difficult to exaggerate tho value ,of ; the; response that .has' )been;' -made to my previous appeals, but L am .hero to-day to make, another demand' on the manhood , of ■ the country to come forward' 'for ;its : . defence.;, ' I was from the first .unwilling to. ask for a supply ,of men .In excess of the'equipment available for them. I hold It to be most undesirable that soldiers keen to take r their' places In the field should be- thus | checked and possibly discouraged, or that' . the - Completion - of ; their training should'.be hampored owing- to the lack of arms.. W© have now, happily, reached;- a •- period when it - can be- said that this'drawback has been' surmounted, and that the troops in training can bb supplied, with sufficient arms and ma. tcrial to ttirn' theiri; out - as efficient .sol-: dier's. 1• ' When the great rush of recruiting occurred iri' August' and Septemberlast year .there -was a natural difficulty- in' finding .'accommodation for the many thousands'.who answered to , tho call for 1 mcn-'to'complete;'the' : existing ;armed forces .and tho now armies. Now, however,'l am ;gladito'sayj.we'havo throughout' the country provided accommodation calculated- to; -'; sufficient . arid suitable for o\ir. requirements. /.. Further,' there was in,the early autumn a- very natural difficulty', in N'clotliirig' arid Equipping ,the newly-raised'units;- r . Now we are able to clothe'and equip all recruits as they come In, and thus the call .for men is no longer, restricted by any . limitations, such; as tho lack of material for training. - A Tribute to Lord Derby.; ! ' It is an axiom that the larger- an' army, is- tho greater is its' need, of an ever-swelling mnnber of mien of rccruitablo .ageVto .maintain.;; it at its;;; full strength','' while at; the . very '..same' :time 1 tho .supply: of those. very;'men is auto: maltieally decreasing. Nor must it: be forgotten that .the great .demand which has arisen for the supply of munitions, equipment,'.etc;,'for the. armed forcps of this country,: and of our- Allies also, as* ,well_ as the economic and financial ne-' cessity of fceping up-the production of manufactured goods,- involves the: reteni tion of a large number of men in various trades arid manufactures, /many of whom' would otherwise bo available for the colon rs.' : - - ~-_• ;■. ' ■ lii respect of our, great and'increasing .military.-, requirements for .men, I am glad'to say -how; much -we are indebted for the help given, to the recruiting staff : of-'the-.regular, army and' to. the, Terri-: toriali'Associations throughout tho country by. the many voluntary recruiting committees formed' in all - the counties and cities and in many important boroughs for; this .purpose. Tho recruiting by the regular, staff and 1 the Territorial' Associations has been most carefully and ■ .thoroughly carried out, arid the .relations botween: them and the ; various committees I-have referred to have been botfh cordially and mutually helpful. The Parliamentary Recruiting Committee : has done most excellehti;,work in organising meetings, and; providing' speakers ■in all parts of the country in conjunction with the' various ;local committees. It is impossblo,to refer by name to all the coihmittees that have helped, but I must' just, mention the work of . tho .Lord'Mayor's'Comriiittee iri'.ithe City;of Loridori— (cheers)—and the -committees in the.several'district! of Lancashire-r----(chcers)—where We aro much indebted •to the organising powers arid initiative of Lord Derby—(cheers)—and to tho sevoral committees in Greater London, Manchester, Liverpool. Bristol, Cardiff, Edinburgh,!. Glasgow, Dublin, and Belfast.'; To .these we must add the Cen--' tral-Recruiting Council for. Ireland, with ' a number of county committees, as ; wcll as the Automohile Association. Our Requirements Large and Persistent. The time has now come when some- • ' thing more; is required to ensure the demands of our forces overseas being fully • mot and to enable the large 'reserves of , men imperatively required for the - proper conduct of the war to be formed , and trained. : The' has watched with great interest the growth'and the rapidly acquired efficiency of, the * new armies, whoso dimensions have already reached a figure which only a short while ago would; havo been considered utterly'unthinkable. * (Hear, hear.) But , -there is a-.teriedericy 'perhaps to over- : -look:the:fact that' tJiese larger armies require still larger;reserves to make good the wastage at,the 'front. And one ' cannot ignore tho' certainty that our requirements'. in ; this respect will be large, -continuous, 'and, persistent, for one feels that our gallant soldiers in the firing line arc beckoning with an urgency at' onco imperious and pathetic to those who remain at home to come out and play their part also, (Cheers:),-, Recruiting ; meetings, recruiting marchcs, and tho unwearied labours of the recruiting officers, committees, and individuals have ; borne good fruit, and I I look forward with' confideiice. to such labours being continued as energetically as hitherto. But tvo'mustgo a step^further, so -as to attract and attach individuals who from 6hyness or any other causes—(laughter)—have not yet yielded to their own patriotic impulses. The Government have askM Parliament to pass a llegistration . Bill—(cheers) — with the object of ascertaining howmany men and women.there are,in tho country botween the ages of 15 and . 65 eligible for national service, whether in the. navy or army or for the manufacture of munitions,'or to fulfil other necessary services. "When this registration is completed we shall anyhow be able to note the men between the ages of 19 and 40 not required for munitions, or other necessary . industrial work—. (chgers)—atti vherefote ayaitobb, it

physically fit, for the fighting line. (Hear,, hear.) Unmarried Men Preferred, Steps will then be taken to approach, with a view to enlistment, all possible candidates for the army, unmarried men being preferred before married men. (Cheers.) Of course, tho work'of completing the - Registration Bill will extend over some weeks, and meanwhile it is of vital and paramount importance that as large a number of men as possible should press forward to enlist, so that the men's training may be com- 1 plete when they are required for the field. I would urge all employers to help in this matter by releasing all men ; qualified for service with tho colour's, ( and replacing thom by men of ; able ago, or by women, as has already ] been i'ound feasible in so many cases. : (Hoar, hear.) "An acknowledgment is assuredly due to those patriotic employers who have not merely permitted but ; actively encouraged their mon to enlist, ■ and have helped the families of those who have' joined the colours. (Hear, : hoar.) "When the registration become-s ; operative, I feel sure-that the Corpora- , tion of tho City of London will not .be - content with its earlier efforts; intensely valuable as. they have been,' but will use. its great facilities to sot an example of canvassing for tho cause. .'This oahvass should be addressed with stern emphasis to such unpatriotic employers as, according to returns,' have restrained their men from enlisting. (Hear, hear.) What the numbers required are likely to be it is clearly in- • expedient to snout ' abroad. , (Heat, hear.)' Our constant refusal to publish either these or any other. figures likely to prove useful to the enemy needs neither explanation nor apology,. (Cheers.) It is, of ten urged that if some informa-tion-were-given as. to the work/and whereabouts of .various, units, reoruiting. would be strongly stimulated. . But this is the ' precise; information which would bo of tne greatest, value to the enemy — (hear, hear)—-arid, it is agreeable to note that a German Prince in high command ruefully recorded tho other day his complete ignorance as to our new armies. (Laughter.) , ' ■ The "indispensables" and the "Shirkers." ; But one set of figures, available for everybody; and indicating with; sufficient' particularity the' "nature • of' our torces in the field, is supplied by tho casualty ..lists. With regard'to these lists, however—serious and sad as they necessarily must' be—there : aro two' pbints .to bo borne in milid. First, that a very large percentage of the casualties represents .'comparatively -._ slight hurts) tho sufferers from which in timo return \%o the front; . and, -secondly, that if-the figures seem to run very high , the magnitude of the; operations is thereby' suggested. . liideed, , these casualty-lists,- whose great length: may -hows an'd again induce nridue depression of -spirits, are.,an instructive indication of tho huge extent of the operations undertaken now .by the British forces 111 tho held. (Hear, hear./ There are two classes of men to whom my appeal must be addressed. First, those for whom it is claimed, that they are indispensable, whether for work directly' associated with- out military forces or for other purposes, public or private j and,' secondly, those to whom has been applied the ugly name - of"shirkers." As regards the former, the question must be searchingly driven home whether, their duties, however responsible and however technical, oannot In this time, of stress be adequately carried out by men unfit for' active military service, or by women. And here I -cannot'' refrain from a tribute of grateful recognition " to. -'• tbes; large number' of ■ women; i drawn' from /every ■ class ,-and phase of life, who have come forward,-and placed their services unreservedlyl at their country's disposal. (Cheers.) The harvest, of course, is , loomiifg largo in many minds. : It .is possible.'that, many ' meri ; engaged in agriculture have so far. riot-.'.como forward owing to t-heir .harvest l , duties. This may be a good reason • ; at. the moment,; but'can .only., be, accepted if they .('notify'.their; names at once as certaiii'recruits on,tho,.'very, day,;after the -liarvesß'has ;he6ri! carried; Also the question of the.'private' employment' of' recruitable-meri for any sort'of. domestic service' is an acute one-—(hear, hear) —which must be gravely and unselfish-' ly considered by master and man alike. , Excuses. • Sphere' has-been much - said about .'.'slackers,"- people, that is to'say, who; are - doing literally, nothing to help" the country. Let us by all means avoid over-statement matter. /< Let us make .every allowance for, the. very considerable number of men, over, and ' 'above those who'are directly 'renderings : their country, .genuine-service,' :who are Bngaged; indirectly in patriotic work or ai'e occupied in really good and necessary, work at home. Probably the residuum of absolute . "do-nothings", is relatively small,: or at least ■ smaller than is commonly supposed. At any '. rate,, it is not ■of those, that I am speaking for t-he moment. lam anxious specially' to. address myself-to tho large class drawn.' from'tho category of those , who devote themselves to more or less patriotic objects or;to,quite good-'and useful work of one kind or another. ; .1 want each one of these to put this- question to himself, . seriously, and candidly: "Have, l a real reason ■f. 'joining; the army, or is that I- P u t .before, myself as a,reason ■ alter, all only an excuse?" - - 1 Excuses are often very plausible and very arguable, and seem quite good until we examine them by the light : of duty, before the tribunal of our conscience. .To take only a single instance. , Are there not miny special constables who, being of ■ .recruitable ago, are really qualified to undertake the higher sorvico which, is, open ■ to' them ?. . Per- ■ naps the; favourite - exouse ■ for ueglecting to. join the colours is one' which ap-1 pears in; various, forms: ','1 am :ready to. go,when. I am fetched" j "I suppose -they will; let mo know when they want m ®. • v" 1 see why -1 should join whilo so many others remain behind": to he fair,-let. us all, be asked to join together . j '(after, all, if' tho country only entreats and' does not command , us to. enlist, does not that 5 prove that it is not a duty to go—that only those need go who choose?" A Solemn Hour. Now Striking. ! . Granted that legally you need l only go it you'choosft—is it not morally "up ' to you'? to choose to go? (Cheers.) If ' you are only ready to go when'you are fotolied, where is. the.merit of that?. ; (Hew,;hear.) Where is tho patriotism ■ of it? Are you only going to do your 1 duty when the law says you must? (Hoar, hear.) • Doog the call to duty 1 find no response in-you until, reinforced—let us say, rather, superseded—by 1 the call"'to compulsion? It is not for me to tell you .your'duty. That is a 1 matter for your "conscience. But make ' up your minds', and do so quickly. Don't \ delay to ta.ko your and hav- • iiig' taken- it,, to, act upon it at once. Be honest with yourself. Be certain • that your so-called reason is not a ■ selfish excuse. Be sure that hereafter, when you look baok- upon to-day and 1 its call to duty, you do not have cause 1 —perhaps bitter cause—to confess to your conscience , that you shirked your ■ duty to your country and sheltered ' yourself under a mere excuse. It, lias been well, said that in every ' man's life there is" ono supreme hour ! towards which all; |earlier experience 1 moves) and from which all future re- ' suits may-be reckoned. For every in- '■ dividual Briton—as well as for our 11a- ! tional existonce—that solemn 'hour is ' now . striking. I*t us take heed of tho 1 great opportunity it offers, and which ' most ' assuredly we must grasp now and ' at once, or never. Let 'each man of ■ us . see that we-spare nothing, shirk 1 nothing, ■ shrink from nothing, if only 1 we may lend our .full weight to tho 1 impetus which shall carry to victory ; the cause of our honour aud of our JLoud cteetßii--"" .