Great Britain

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVIII, Issue 18, 20 September 1915, Page 5

Great Britain

COMPULSORY SERVICE. Unitkd Phebs Association. Loudon, September 18. Though the evening newspapers repudiate the Daily News' startling assertions re national service, Mr Thomas' threats continue to be the topics of prime importance. The papers plead for the promptest settlement, and demand that Lord Kitchener give a decision ns to the necessity for compulsory service. The papers discuss Cabinet intrigue in all it's bearings. It is generally agreed that Mr/Lloyd George Lords Curzon, and Solbourne are heading for out and out compulsion, favoring compulsory labor in factories 'and workshops in addition to military service; that Messrs Churchill and Smith hold similar views, though less emphatic. Lord Lansdowne. Messrs Bonar Law and Chamberlain at the recent conference said that the compulsion problem .first came to a head in July, hut the crisis was postponed. This means a compromise over the,! i)inti'o#a;l <■ Vegister. which still'is not. fully tested, and the compulsionists arfOiow anxious to force the pace, largely owing to the strong line which; .th«l> voltintnrists. headed hy Mr McKenna. Sir J. A. Simon, and Mr Hnrcourt, have recently taken. ~ ~ .. Mr Lloyd George's prefaci and Mr Harcburt's optimistic speech have accentuated the breach,,and a section of the Cabinet is now Mil favour of a reduction of the Cabinet, believing its constitution unweilcfy for the conduct of the war, and desire the reduction to take the form of elimination of voluntarists. and placing Mr Lloyd George in supreme command. Weightier memhers, headed hy Messrs Asquith and Balfour, only favor compulsion if it is found to be essential to victory.' and are striving for a compromise to preserve the unity of the Government:

The majority of newspapers ridicule tlie idea of a "geiieral election.. It is understood that Churchill favors a referendum. t;o ,avPid jthe turmoil of an election. The matter will be fully (1 iscnyssed. in Pa j shortly, as it is nec'e|ss|ryjo |un|ejid the Bill to avoid in January.! Tlie Star protests against forcing Mi; AfjQ,i\i.t.lj, .Sjj\ Edward .Crew .-and Lord Kitchener to walk the plank in order to hoist the conscription flag. Tlie EVeiiiags Khtik ftH of '-o'pfAion that Mr Thonias. in ajl bpnesijj' went over-far in threatening a stoppage. Trade unions will not fail the Government if it is decided that compulsion is essential to victory, it has been suggested; that .'rftllwaymoti and' miners should beV. ekehip'ted ! fl'om con-: scription, but Mr Thomas, on behalf] of the railwaymen, and Mr Smillie. oni behalf, of tlie miners, have already! repudiated' this as a brjhe v '■'., ; Unionist newspapers generally ridi-j cule the story of a Cabinet plot. The Daily Mail says that an eini-j Dent member of the Cabinet described, it noiisipjvse.l / !;!(> J The 'Daily New* states that about one-half of the Liberal members ofj the'.Commons* orie-siith favor it. and the rest wait for the Government's lead. The Financial News, quoting Mr Holm's recent speech, adds: "This is what we all are thinking: Woe betide any English Ministry wTTlch in the hour of victory fails to put the Kaiser. Admiral von Tirpitz, and all the rest of the German offal into the ordinary felon's dock, and mete to them the usual murderer's fate."

THREE DISAPPOINTMENTS. \ lt -i H ) \ —' ■■!* ■ f United PuEas Association. Loudon, September 17. Mr Winston Churchill, addressing the munition workers at EbffieUil sjttvi it was difficult for a public iluin to speak on any topic at, the present' time. Many people were trying to make difficulties and crpafcj artificial diversions on matters which should be approached in a spirit ol impartiality and goodwill. Dining the past live montns the affairs ol the Allies had not gone as well as might have been hoped. There were three outstanding events, which had been not disasters, but disappointments. There were the series ol.resolute and costly attacks made on the Germans lines in France and Flanders, and although grouud wa s gained the lines were hot pierced; secondly, we had gained invaluable ground at the Dardanelles, which led us towards a decisive conclusion, but we had not gained the vantage points whereat we had aimed; thirdly, there was the invasion ol' Russia, and while Russia was re-arming and recovering lost strength, an unmistakable additional burden fell upon Britain, The situatimC'he said, i* a verv serious one. and the war could onlyi be: carried W a successful conclusion if Britain utilised the whole strength of her human .national capacity the great crimes that have been committed among the weak and helpless, and upon the laws of peace, the customs of civilisation and dictates of humanity were allowed to go uihpunished, the evildoer would emerge /•hastened perhaps, but with the ( Factulty Tor harm intact. Then a period of unrest and n brief troubled peace can he the only interlude between this great war and another. j Mr Clmrefill dwelt on the immense importafloanof uvarx yarn of ,gi:pund,

at the Dardanelles gained by the heroic courage of our soldiers and the super-courage of our Australasian fellow citizens. Success there would repay the lieavy cost and loss we have endured. ''-» — FARMERS EXEMPT FROM ENLISTMENT. "A NATIONAL CALAMITY." (Received 8.10 a.m.) Lord Selbourue. Earl Norwich, and Earl Kitchener have consented to exempt skilled agriculturists from enlisting. . They warned the public to believe little of what they saw in the papers regarding National service. The present controversy was a National calamity.

MUNITION WORKERS AT COURT. REPETITION OF OFFENCE PREVENTED. (Received 8.10 a.m.) London. September 15). 1 The Liverpool Munitions Court heard the .summonses against Cammell and Laird's employees, of whom 238 mul withdrawn. Representatives of the men admitted the offence, promising to prevent a repetition, A SENTENCE OF 12 YEARS. (Received 8.5 a.m.) London, September It). Captain Georges has been sentenced to twelve years servitude for manslaughter. (Captain Georges was arrested in .July on the charge of murdering a detective named Young. Georges stated that the affair was an accident.) SHOOTINC COMPETITIONS. UH\i\ir\\A~ —~T"-~a.< Ml.' ! (Received 8.5 a.m.) London. September 19. ; The Imperial Challenge Shield tol Marines Cadet.. Corps, of Deal, with am. avenjgu- $& r 93j jTlje; Sydney s*ss} jAefcftrvW .1 .tfesim \tfasKlsetoudl . » The Third jumpm- jvus, wony byi tl'M .\ Marine average p#HW»tJIV3HJI »H ft