LORD DERBY'S RECRUITING SCHEME

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2722, 17 March 1916, Page 5

LORD DERBY'S RECRUITING SCHEME

OFFICIAL STATEMENTS IN THE HOUSE OF LORDS

By Telegraph—Press Association-Copyright (Reo. March 16, 9.10 p.m.) London, March 15. Speaking in the House of Lords, Lord Derby said ho intended to remain at the War Office as long as he could assist Lord Kitchener in maintaining tho pledge which was the foundation of the recruiting scheme. Ho contemplated that there would be some exceptions to the rule regarding unmarried men being called tin to serve first, but Lord Derby viewed with great anxiety tho large numbers of exempted occupations. The authorities were now reviewing the lists of munition workers and others recently entering the. exempted occupations. Cabinet was : taking the matter so seriously that he thought they would get'the number of unmarried men required. Tiie Germans would not wait while we were putting our bouse in order, and ho hoped by November to got a sufficient number of young men without putting the married' men in the field, but that was not part of the 'pledge that married men would never be called on to fight. He considered every man ought to do something for his country..

Lord Kitchener said he regretted that during the month liis fears, were realised. The original estimate of the numbers required had been exceeded owing to the deficiency in the number of men coming in in March, which showed that it was neccssary to call up more groups earlier than he hoped. He endorsed all _ that Lord Derby had He had not any doubt that the single men military service would to brought in, but it would take time. In the meantime the "War Office needed trained mon, and he hoped that any appeal made to married men would not fall on deaf ears. The attested married men should place patriotism and the national cause before everything.