NEW BRITISH CALL-UP WELCOMED

Manawatu Times, Volume 65, Issue 3, 4 January 1940, Page 8

NEW BRITISH CALL-UP WELCOMED

Vast Increase in Army Manpower (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, Jan. 2. The Royal Proclamation notifying s further 2-million men of their liability for military service, thus giving the Government powers for what will probably be one year’s recruitment programme, is regarded by the Press as proving by its extent the inflexible resolution and earnestness of Britain’.' war effort. Hitherto men have beer ’ailed up in single age groups. Now vith the knowledge that their notices .vill be fairly evenly spaced over thi coming months, the men can look aheac ind adjust their affairs better, and th« authorities will be able better to utilise the nation’s manpower to th« maximum advantage, whether in industry or in the fighting services. ! A comparison is made in som« newspapers between this programm< and the experience in the last war when the acceptance of compulsory service was qualified by strong oppositior and widespread misgiving, even aftei 17 months of desperate campaigning In this war the scheme is warmly approved by all responsible sections o: British opinion. The Times notes that the new effori does not stand alone. “At a conservative estimate,” it says, “the classes previously registered have yielded 600,00 C men. To that figure must be added mer already serving in the armed force; at the outbreak fo war and volunteers accepted since, who together numbei not far short of a million. And last, but not least, there must be adder the troops from the Dominions. “In all, the number of men, exclusive of Dominion and colonial *roops, who are either under arms or will be in the relatively near future may well reach 2J-million before further classes are called up. This figure is far from exhausting he potential manpower which can ultimately be brought into serAfter reviewing the nation’s military effort in other fields, Tho Times proceeds: “Nobody, friend or foe, can detect the slightest sign of irresolution or I of hanging back in these preparations. [ Last- night’s proclamation offers incontrovertible proof that, in manpower and in everything else, our contribu-' lion to victory will not be less than i the highest which can possibly be given.” This week’s arrival of a further con- . tingent of Canadians lias also been made the occasion for reviews in the press of Canada’s past contributions to the Empire’s cause. Tho extent of

Canada’s war effort in four years of the last war may be gauged from the fact that in 1914 the strength of tho pcrinaneht force of the Canadian Army numbered 3000 and the non-permanent strength 00,000, but before the war was lover 600,000 Canadians had served with ' the Colours.