GIVE THE VOLUNTEER A CHANCE

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2622, 18 November 1915, Page 5

GIVE THE VOLUNTEER A CHANCE

RECRUITING DEBATE IN BRITISH PARLIAMENT END OP THE WAR MUST BE , HASTENED By. Maffraph—Press Association—Copyright (Rec. November 17, 6.15 p.m.) London, November 16. The flood of recruiting- enthusiasm is rising' daily, and tho scenes at the recruiting offices in London, Manchester, Hull, Birmingham, Aberdeen, and other provincial centres recall the eagerness with wliich tne crowds followed the news of Germany's dash on Paris. Tho re-, cruiting sergeants do not attribute the boom to the fear of conscription. They say that our recent set-backs have shown many men for the first time that our success in the war will depend on their enlisting. ( The majority of the recruits are unmarried; averaging 25 years of age: They are noticeably of a cheerful, even boisterous, demeanour. This was particularly noticeable at the central recruiting offices in Great Scotland Yard, where a queue six deep serpentined about the Central Hall awaiting the doctors' examinations.

Many of tie Canadian, Australian, and New Zealand wounded soldiers are assisting 7 at the recruiting meetings in Trafalgar Square, where there are quaint scenes. From\the plinth of Nelson's Column the orators single out likely youths in the crowd, and challenge them to join the colours. Scorcs answer the appeal forthwith, scrambling up the plinth for the Sing's shilling, amid choers from the crowd.

Hundreds of unmarried and unskilled employees of the Post Office, the Enfield Small Arms Factory, the Waltham Gunpowder Factory, and other: Government Departments have ofEered to enlist, disabled soldiers and old men taking their places. The whole staff of the UniverCollege of Southampton has enlisted, including three professors and eight lecturers. ■ ■ ■ •

Married men. who have hitherto hung back are enlisting in large numbers. Lord Derby's scheme, whereby men of military ago are divided into groups according to ages, eighteen to' forty, has been a signal success. Lord Derby lias given a promise that married men mil not be called up until the single men are exhausted. Thus married men of thirty-five will not be called up until tho members of thirty-eight groups have been recruited, whereas unmarried men jn their twenties will be called up almost immediately. A house-to-house canvass is proceeding vigorously. The Labour Party in all parts of the country is increasingly angry at Lord Derby's manifesto about compulsion for the unmarried men, maintaining that there was no justification for this In Mr. Asquitk's statement'. Mr. Asquith's Statement. ■ Mr. Asquith's explanation in the House of Commons to-day was awaited with intense interest. The Premier, however, refused to go beyond his statement of November 2, and added: "It is my confident hopo and belief that there-will be no question of resorting to coercion, as there will be an adequate response from all classes to the recruiting call, especially amongst the unmarried men."

Speaking in the House of Commons, Mr. J. H. -Thomas (Labour) denied that. Mr. Asquith's, statement inferred that conscription would operate after November 30 if voluntaryism failed. It would be a violation of the agreement with tho Labour Party. Before even the question of compulsion for Unmarried men could bo entertained tho question must bo considered stage by stage It was a fallacy to suggest that single men should be pushed into the Army and married men exempted.

Mr: Bonar Law (member of the War Council) said that hs regarded the debate as unfortunate. He sympathised with Mr. Thomas's views. If Lord Derby's scheme were given a fair chance ho believed it' would succeed, whereupon the disadvantage of dividing the nation would disappear, but, as Mr. Asquitli had said, if the scheme failed, othei measures would be adopted. Our financial resources wero one of our strongest assets, but these must be used to get a quick decision. We could not go on for ever, and it would bo impossible to finance this,war indefinitely. Our future depended on tho number of soldiers wa could place in the field at the decisive period, and it would be something; to remember with pride if we should be able to concludo the war under the system of voluntary enlistment. Mr. Asquith had been, mora than anybody, responsible for the success of the war and for Britain's future.

If, continued Mr. Bonar Law, Mr. Asquitli honestly concluded that tho volunteers were insufficient-, and that otherwise we would either lose the war or prolong it indefinitely, would Mr. Asquitli consent to continue a system which could not succoed? He (Mr. Bonar Law) believed that Mr. Asquitli woijld say that somo other echeme was necesand would expect the backing of all his countrymen, otherwise ho could not accept the responsibility for tho conduct of the war. Mr. Whittaker considered that Mr. Asquith's and Lord Derby's statements wore not in accord. The latter's resembled a threat. Mr. Llewellyn "Williams complained tnflfc the House of Commons had been kept in tho dark as to the number of soldiers we required. Before abandoning voluntaryism we outfit to know authoritatively the effect of the enormous enlistments on Britain's finances and commerce.