LORD ROSEBRY'S APPEAL

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2625, 22 November 1915, Page 6

LORD ROSEBRY'S APPEAL

SHIRKERS TO BE TREATED AS . LEPERS IF WE FAIL. The Earl of Rosebery addressed a recruiting meeting at Leith recently. Two groups of nations, he remarked, were fighting together for (heir very lives, not for victory, not for an increase of territory, not for some clause in a treaty—because when once the war began about the independence of Belgium it soon grew into oven larger issues— they were not fighting for any of these things. They were absolutely fighting for their, own existence, arid they, must fight as long as they had a man or a dollar to fight with and the last man and the last dollar would win.

That was why he thought some of their young men did not realise that this matter was vital for them. It was not a question of victory on a stricken field; it was not a question of ampler dominion —we had more than we wanted. It was a question of tho existence of these islands and their empire. • What would happen if they were to lose this war? Ho did not regard it as a probable contingency ; but if every man who could come did not come, the war would drag op for years, sucking the very marrow out of tho bones of the nation. But supposing they were to lose—everything was possible in this war—these islands invaded-, taxed, dominated by the Prussians, a mere Surned-out country—tho probability was that then overy self-respecting man would bo seeking refuge in some of the outer dominions beyond the seas. That tvas what was before them if they would not put out tho full strength of the country.

"That," Lord Rosebery exclaimed, "is <he.possibility that ought to haunt every man who can fight. But we shall win, that I do not doubt; but we shall have to put our elbow-grease into the war if we aro goin to win promptly." (Cheers.)

Every man who could enlist or do work in munitions, ho went on, was bound to enlist or do work in munitions, and 011 every man who refused one of these options there lay a responsibility which would be cold in his bones until ho died. (Cheers.) It was a responsibility between his conscience and his God, and ho had to settle it with both. Ho confessed that tho consideration would appeal to him if he was a young man —ho could not bear to think that others wero doing for him a duty that it was incumbent upon him to do. If tho gentle methods of appeal and harangue did not succeed, there was something, sterner coming. If compulsion was coming he .should feel as a young man that tho matter was becoming a very seriotis one for him, because there would bo an immeasurable distance between the. man who had gone to the' front as a volunteer and tho man who liad gone under compulsion. (Cheers.) If the war turned to the advantage of Germany tho young man who did not enlist , would ho slinking about the streots like a' leper, feeling that as far as lie was. concerned tho country was demolished, and he did not raise a finger to save her. He should expect to be treated as' a leper by his comrades, and lie. should be sent to Coventry, and deservedly sent to Coventry. (Cheers.)