The Dominion TUESDAY, OCTOBER 2G, 1915. THE KING'S CALL FOR FIGHTING MEN

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2602, 26 October 1915, Page 4

The Dominion TUESDAY, OCTOBER 2G, 1915. THE KING'S CALL FOR FIGHTING MEN

The King's earnest appeal for recruits—for men to come forward voluntarily and take their share in the fight—may be taken as a clear indication that the men of military ago in Great Britain who have so far been holding back are having their last opportunity of joining the Army as volunteers. If the response to tho urgent call which is now being made is not adequate to requirements it is inevitable that compulsion in some form must be put into operation. Those who object to conscription have tho power in their own hands to prevent its enforcement by making it unnecessary. . The King's appeal, combined with the news of the brutal murder of Nurse Cavell, is stated to have given a strong impetus to the recruiting campaign, but the need is great, and can only be satisfied by a broad torrent of recruits, who can be poured unceasingly into the fighting lines until the eneny is completely overpowered. It is probable that the re«ults achieved during the next few weeks will show .whether the voluntary system will stand , or fall. When the new recruiting scheme was recently set in motion under the guidance of Loud Derby it was generally understood that it was to be the last chance of the voluntary method. It is, therefore, satisfactory to know tbat Lord Derby is now convinced that the volunteer principle will not have to be abandoned. He is reported to | have stated that he confidently anticipates that by the end of November a sufficient number of recruits to meet the requirements of the Army will be available. This testimony becomes all the more _ impressive when it is borne in mind that it comes from one who is a strong boliever in compulsory national service. When Lord Derby took charge of the new rccruiting campaign he determined to keep his personal opinions on this point in the background, and to give the voluntary system every chance of proving that it could accomplish all that its advocates claimed for it. There are some men who say that they will come when they are fetched, and not before. Lord Derby is personally oi opinion that the authorities ought to fetch these people, but he realises that at the present moment there ia grave danger of dividing the country if n.n attempt is made to «uu- . tuf'i men to join the forcca before it

has been made absolutely clear that the voluntary system has hopelessly broken down, ft now appears that Lord Kitchener lias promised uur Allies that Britain will put an army of a ccrtain size in the field. That promise must be kept. If tho required number of soldiers can bo secured without compulsion, so much tho better; but if not, tlien compulsion will become a positive necessity. It is probable that tho vast majority of Britishers in all parts o£ the Empire would prefer that the war should be won without the need of throwing over the voluntary method of enlistment, but they arc quite prepared to sanction the enforcement cf a compulsory soheme if victory cannot be achieved without it.