BRITAIN AND WAR

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 7, 23 January 1937, Page 6

BRITAIN AND WAR

Serious Position Of Recruiting IMPROVEMENT NEEDED

When would Britain go to wur? This questipn has just been answered by Mr Anthony Eden, the ' Britlsh Foreign Secretary, in a.speeoh at Leamington. "Our arms may," 'ho declared, "and if the occasion arose they would, be used in the defence of France and Belgium against unprovoked a'ggresslon in accordanoe with our existlng obllgations. ■ , ■ • ■ « "They may, and, if a new Western European settlement can be reaohed, they would, be used. in defence of Germany were she the victim of unproyoked aggression by any of theother signatories of such a- settlement. "In addition, our armarne'nts may be used ln bringing help to a victim of aggression in any case where, in our judgmenl, it would be proper -under the provisions of the Covenant to do so." . 60,000 Mon Wanted. Additional interest ls lent to Mr Eden's speech by the . announcement that new recruiting schemes to brln'g both / the Regular and Ter'ritorlal Afmies up to full strength in Coronation year are to be launched by Mr Duff Gooper, Minister for War. At present the Regular Army is 10,000 men shorLof :estabtishment and the Terrltorial Army- 40,000.men short. . As part of the new efforts to.attract recruits to both armies the men are to be granted smart blue uniforms for ceremonial occasions and for walking out. Endeavours are to be made to . guarantee every man leaving the Regu- , lar Army a good job," while Terr'itorials who flnd it impossible to attend summer camp are to be allowed to ' do . their annual trainlng'at other periods of the year. Mr Duff Gooper also announced that 60,000 troops, Aegulars and Territorlals, equipped at Government expense with the new. blue uniform, will take part in the Coronation ceremony in London. Appeallng to employers at a reoruiting lunch in London, „Mr Duff Gooper emphasised the urgent need of moro recruits for the Regular Army. Big Improvement Needed. . "The position her'e is very' serious indeed," he stated, "and I'cannot say there has been any improvemeht in recent' months. Unless there i's an improvement— and a very large o.ne— in the immediate future, the system will break down." • • • Subsequently Mr Duff Gooper told & pressman that his remarks about' the breakdown of the system of voluntary recruitment did not mean that cbmpulsory service would have to be iu* troduced. . It might mean, however, that we should no longer be able to 1 flnd the necessary dralts for lndia, and" the position would then haVe to be con--sidered. Trying to run a Regular. Army and a Terrltorial Army on a .yoluntary basis, when trade was booming, was a very difllcult thing. Every other country iu Europe had given it up. "When you think," h'e commented, "that outside these islands there is'no young man in Europe who is not com-pelled-to give;up one or two years of his life to the Services, you will see that the voluntary system is a- luxury. "I do not believe that compuisory service will be necessary. if people will realise that voluntary service is a luxury and if they will play their part in it."