The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 16, 1915. INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBILITY.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVIII, Issue 39, 15 October 1915, Page 4

The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 16, 1915. INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBILITY.

Whatever ideas they may have iieldj regarding war generally before the present conflict, it i s certainly with different eyes that the opponents of war in the abstract no\\\ look upon the. struggle for the world’s freedom from ‘what Sir hid ward Grey aptly termed' ‘‘the menaeb of oppression in peace.” it has been pointed out . that even 1 amongst the Socialists there has comeabout a great change of opinion, and; that Bernard Shaw ceased .to be a' Socialist on the declaration of..wary Robert Blatcbford, the free lance otj Socialism, - favored the war even before it started; Hyndinan, political j Jioad of the party, devoted his atten-j tions to securing larger pensions fori practical patriots; H. G. Wells called on the women to arm ; and the late, Keir Hardie, who once preached that; the working classes could and should oppose all war. went so far as to assert : “I have never said or written anything to dissuade our young men from volunteering. I know too well j all there is at stake.” Whatever fine* theories may he held regarding war; prevention, we are laee to face with I the hard fact that we have just gone through more than a year’s terrible struggle in which all other wars have been overshadowed by reason of the mighty forces engaged, and further.’ that there seems every probability of another year’s striving in front of us before victory, complete and satisfying. is obtained. The Allied nations have made enormous sacrifices, and life and treasure has been cheerfully; given to the nation’s cal'. Courage and patriotism have been splendidly forthcoming throughout the Umpire, and our noble Allies have shown keen appreciation of what Britain and her daughter States have done. But to keep pace with the Kinnirc s need and. in duty to Franco, Italy, and Russia, t is necessary that even more siren uuk efforts should be made. The British Labor Party not-many weeks ago ssued a great manifesto, in which it mill: “it is not want oi courage that n-events men enlisting, hut the failure ;n appreciate the seriousness ot the situation. . . Responsibility for ' victory or defeat rests upon those • vho have not yet responded to the ' •all.” That is a very vital aspect, s Hid one upon which we must act. In, Britain no less less than thirty thouand recruits must he raised every ,-eek if the efficiency of the armies is 1 0 bo maintained at the strength now a bsolutely required to decisively de- f eat German military despotism. New 1 iealand, to do her share, is now asked v a send forward about two thousand I ,on every month, a very much great- I number than was at first thought G t ail likely to be wanted. I hat they ,s re wanted and wanted badly there w ~, be no doubt, ami it is therefore I operative to bring home to the men (,' 1 military age by some means or p ther their individual responsibility C i this matter. Our young men are d srtainlv not lacking in courage or p itriotism, but some of them have tl ardly yet realised their responsi- \J