BRITAIN IN ARMS.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 5, Issue 161, 31 March 1916, Page 4 (Supplement)

BRITAIN IN ARMS.

A GERMAN APPRECIATION. An article on the British Anu.c, from the pen of Dr. Hi!-, Yor>t ;.p----pears in the Berlin "Tageblatt" of the Oth December. We make the following extracts I wish to speak to-day of what the English have clone and intend to do, as it seems to nie that among us the work which the English have done in reference to their Army is undervalue. I believe that a true measure of tilings is gained by a comparatively simple sum 111 arithmetic. According to the official statements mave in Parliament, which, after all 1 have heard in England, I am constrained to accept as correct, the British Army and Navy have about 3,000,(XX) with the colours. Although an appreciable part of that number has not yet completed its training, this does not detract from the fact of their being recruited. To that number we must add the casualties of the war, which must already have .exceeded 400,000, when it is considered that, according to the ottici:}! statements, the casualties up to 21st August of this year (and before the autumn offensive in the West) amounted to over 385,000. If one wishes to estimate the part which the United Kingdom has contributed to the total result, it is necessary to deduct from it the number of troops sent from the Colonies. According to Asquith's last statement in Parliament, the Colonies (Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, any th,o \\ est Indies) have sent roundly 22"),000 men. The trops from India we estimate at about 500,000, which is smaller man we formerly calculated. It therefor" appears from thi = computation tlial England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland have alone contributed over 2,000,000 men for tho Army and Navy. AN EXTRAORDINARY FEAT. Tho fact that England! when was i broke out was not prepared to equip and train a large Army makes this an extraordinary feat of organisation, and one can scarcely think it possible that they could have had a larger body ot troops ready for service even :f universal conscription had boen introduced at the lieginning of tho war. On the other hand, these figures prove that, so far as the English are concerned, this cannot any longer lie spoken of as a war imposed on the country by the Cabinet, but that the English people have begun to take a real part in it. As the population of the United Kingdom is about 46,000,000, under universal conscription about 10 per cent, of this number could serve —i.e., 4,500,000 m.en. That far more than half of this possible have rallied voluntarily to the colours must be regarded as a remarkable result. We dare not deceive ourselves as regards what these figures prove — name 1 }', that the great majority of the English people have realised the gravity of the situation, and are resolved to' place at the service of their country, not only their money, but also their lives. Further, then, 2 • r . , )0,CP.) men were not merely moved by a sudden wave of patriotic feeling to rush to the colours, as often is experienced at the beginning of a war; but, indeec, bv the continual misfortunes of the Allies, the bombardments of th<> English coast, the results of the German submarine warfare, the air raids of London—in one word ,not hopes, but disappointments have maved the majority to put their lives at the disposal of their country after they have thought over the matter coolly and deliberately CONSCRIPTION. It is a further proof of England's determine:. 1 attitude in regard to the war that this drastic reform, which is so alien to English traditions, is at the present time seriously considered. Up to now every effort has been made to avoid this great break with tradition, or rather the efforts which are now made to keep voluntary recruiting on its feet are with the view of convincing the country that conscription 's unavoidable, and to weaken the oppos 1 .. tion of tho Labour party. Here, also, th 0 Government has gone to work in a very cai»bl o way. It has, as is known, brought it übout that the Labour organisations have fully recognised the cuty of the country to provide the men necessary to replace the wastage. Thus the opposition to conscription on the part of Labour men will be removed in the event of the recruiting campaign, which they themselves have now taken in hand, not yielding sufficient numbers. And that time must come. The voluntary system has already supplied so many that there cannot now lie so very manv more who will be brought in by it. I believe that the great majority of the English people have travelled so far that serious opposition to the necessary change, from whatever side it came, would be easily overcome.