Great Britain

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVIII, Issue 18, 20 September 1915, Page 6

Great Britain

LLOYD CEORQE'S STATEMENT ON CONSCRIPTION. THE PEOPLE WARNED OF INSPIRED HOSTILE STATEMENTS. United Pttpsa Association. (Received Xoon); London, September 19. The Press Bureau announces that Mr Lloyd George, replying to his constituents' letter says : "You say, rightly! that the Government might to give the Nation a lead upon the question whether moral obligation on . every able-bodied to .defend'his country ought to he converted into a legal obligation. I can assure you the Government is fully alive to the necessity of giving a definite lead, and is now examining the subject with a view, rightly, to deciding without undue delay\ Undue t precipitation might be equally disastrous. Let us avoid both", and decide the issue on fact, not principal. If the figures demonstrate that we can win through with voluntary, then it ' . would be folly to provocate a controversy in the middle of the world-war h v attempts to substitute a totally different method ;. oil the other hand, if the figures demonstrate to everyone ■unprejudiced that-i voluntaryism has exhausted its utility; find nothing but • legal pressure can give us. the armies necessary to defend "the honor of Britam' and saVe Europe from the triumph ■■* of military .dsepotism, I. have not heard of one'man who would in 'tho'so circumstances desist compulsion. % ' , The men who say they will resist this expedient to provide ; the necessary to save the country and the freedom of the world have not yet appeared in the.arena. If they do appear, I'predict;they will not he found among the working classes.. The ques J tion' id wholly one of ascertainable fact. Why? then, (all i this :: premature anger 'determining -facts not,yet published. 'When the facts are sifted, ami niacte known',' the advocate* of, either view will surely find that .the whole of this ! cyclonic fervour and.ferocity have been wasted in attacking positions whiehi they will then discover they ought to defend. Let the Government have a fair chance to decide all this clatter and racket outside the Council Chamber and which is fatal to deliberating. I specially beg the public to, pay no heed to paragraphs ascribing a certain attitude to different Ministers. These are invariably inspired by hostile intent and the task of contradiction would be endless.