COMPULSION IN BRITAIN

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2762, 4 May 1916, Page 5

COMPULSION IN BRITAIN

ANNOUNCEMENT IN PARLIAMENT ■ A GENERAL AND IMMEDIATE MEASURE BRITAIN'S MILITARY : STRENGTH PRIME MINISTER GIVES SECRET FIGURES

The High Commissioner reports: London, May 2, 8.10 p.m. In the House of Commons, Mr. Asquith (the Prime Minister) announced. that he would introduce to-morrow a single measure of general compulsion. The Bill, he said, would finish tho controversy altogether. He appealed for national unity in view of the importance of tho question to the' Empire and to the Allies. The naval and military situation of the Allies was never so good as at present. If the Government had not the confidence of ■"lie House let it say bo. MR. ASQUITH'S SPEECH REPLY TO CRITICS

By Telegraph—Press Association—CojyTieht (Rec. May 3, 10.35 p.m.) London, May 2. Speaking''ill; the House of Commons, the Primo Minister (Mi - . Asquith) said that as the Government's proposals last, week did not meet with general consent, he proposed to deal with the whole recruiting problem in a single measure, which ho would introduce to-morrow. Tho Empire's total naval And military effort since the war began exceeded five million men, and the existing machinery would not provide quickly the 200,000 married men who were required to keep up the Army's strength and provide for contingencies during the summer and autumn campaign. "It is the country's plain duty," he said, "to provide these men." Tho new Bill- would provide for general and immediate compulsion.' There was no reason to believe that this general and immediate compulsion would provide such larger numbers, but it would have the immense advantage of abolishing tlie piecemeal treatment of the question. The speeches iii the House last week, especially from the Labour side, showed a desire to settle the whole controversy at once and for all.

Mr. A'squith appealed for a. unity of interests in the country. His answer to criticisms regarding the Government's alleged indeoision, delay,'and half-heart-edness was that even though there had been perhaps blunders in ' policy and strategy the British contribution to the common cause was growing steadily and was better directed now than it had over been before. The Allies' naval and military situation, as a whole, had never been, so good as it was to-day. 1 "The Government could treat criticisms with indifference while it had the people's confidence; if it had not, let the House say soj and find more efficient men." "You will not find more zealous or more loyal men," he said. -They could not carry the heaviest burden over laid upon the shoulders of British statesmen unless they had tho sympathy and trust of their fellow-country-men. ' Mr. Asquith added: "The war has increased the Army from six regular, fourteen Territorial, and six Overseas Dominion divisions, to forty-two regular, twenty-eight Territorial,, and twelve Overseas divisions, and one naval division, making a total of eighty-three divisions."

Tho House was astonished at Air. A'sauith's reference to the Empire's five million soldiers, as this was given to tlie secret session in tho strictest confidence, and Mr. George Younger's'interruption: "You will be in • prison soon!" aroused general laughter. _ Sir Edward Carson said ho did not doubt that the country was making gigantic efforts, but it had not done enough to win tlm war. Mr. Asquith could have got these powers a year ago. No more just scheme was possible. Sir John Simon said that the Bill was the outcome of political exnediency, not of necessity, but lie agreed that it was the logical consequence of the measure passed in January.

SIR EDWARD CARSON AND LORD KITCHENER A SENSATIONAL PHRASE (Rec. May 4, 1.25 a.m.) London, May 3. 'A phrase in- Sir Edward Carson's speech created a sensation. He said: ''When I entered the Cabinet I decided that as I was inexperienced in military matters I would back the demands and tho policy of the Cabinet's military advisers. My misfortune was that I found very little to back." This oblique reference' to Lord Kitchener Was the more pointed because Sjr Edward Carson in a letter eulogised Sjr William Robertson. He 6aid: "Sir William Robertson has done more to reorganise the War Office since lie was put at the head of military affairs than the others have done during the Wnolo of the .preceding period of the war." Referring to the surrender of Kut-el-Amara, Sir Edward Carson paid a tribute to the indefatigable pains which Mr. Austen Chamberlain (Secretary of State for India) took to ascertain from every possible Department what were the possibilities of a successful attack on Bagdad. Ho added: "I was in Cabinet at the time, and I won't be a.party to any attack upon Mr. Chamberlain."

PASSAGE OF THE BILL .ASSURED LABOUR TO VOTE AS INDIVIDUALS (lleo. May 4, 0.45 a.m.) London, May 3. Tho newspapers express satisfaction that the recruiting controversy has been brought to tho only end consistent with the country's honour. At a meeting- of the Labour Party after Mr. Asquith's speech it was decided that members of the party should be free to vote as t'ney pleased. There will probably le half-a-dozen opposed to it>i

The Bill is now assured of an easy passage; it is expected that there will only bo thirty opponents in tho Houso of Commons.

THE SECRET SESSION CRITICISM IN THE HOUSE OF. LORDS. (Rec. Hay 3, 9.40 p.m.) London, May 2. Lord Parmoor, speaking in the House of Lords, criticised the Government's regulation forbidding public reference to Cabinet proceedings. "Free speech," he said, "was the basis of the constitution. The Gov6rnment had cut off all knowledge at its source, and the secret session, was the worst form of secrecy. However, it had been such a failure that it was not likely to bo repeated."