BRITAIN.

Taranaki Daily News, 18 November 1915, Page 5

BRITAIN.

FOR HOME AND COUNTRY. A BOOM IN RECRUITING. Received Nov. 1", 5.5 p.m. London, Nov. 16. The flood of recruiting enthusiasm is rising daily, and the scenes at the recruiting offices in London, Manchester, Hull, Birmingham, Aberdeen, and other provincial centres recall the eagerness themj following the news of Germany's dash for Paris. Recruiting sergeants do not attribute the boom to the fear of conscription, bat say that resent setbacks have shown many men ior the first time that the fiiceess of the v.ur depends upon their enlisting. The majority ol the recruits are unmarried, and average 25 years of age. They are noticeably cheerful, and even boisterous in their demeanour. Thie is particularly noticeable at the central recruiting offices at Great Scotland Yard, where a queue sir men deep collects at the central hall, awaiting the doctors' examination. IN TRAFALGAR SQUARE. TAKING THE SHILLINP. lieceived Nov. 17, 5.5 p.ra. London, Nov. 16. Many Canadian end Australian wounded soldiers r.re assisting at recruiting meetings, in Trafalgar Square there, are strange scenes on the plinth of Nelson's Column. The orators singlfc out likely youths in the crowd ar.d challenge them to join the colors. Scores answer tin; appeal forthwith, scrambling up th? plinth and accepting the King's shilling, amid cheers from the crowd. Hundreds of unmarried and unskilled employees in the Post Office, the Enfield Small Arms Factory, the Walthain Gunpowder Factory, and other Government departments have offered to enlist, disabled soldiers' and old men taking their places.

The whole staff of the University College at Southampton enlisted, including jhrcc professors end eight leetureri. LORD DERBY'S SCHEME. A GREAT SUCCESS. _Jsrrii:,l in.;!t, «ho have hitherto hung fi-v-k, are enlisting in large numbers. i.ord Derby's scheme, whereby men of military aje are divided into six groups iteording to .their ages, from 18 to 40 vials, is a signal success. Lord Derby promised that the married men would not be called up until the single men were exhausted. Thus married Ken of 35 will not be called up until the members of thirty-eight gro'ups have been recruited, whereas married men in the twenties will be called un almost Immediately. A house to house canvass 13 proceeding vigorously. The Labor Party in all parts of the country are increasingly angry at Lord Derby's manifesto about compulsion of the unmarried, maintaining that there was no justification for this in Mr. Asquiih's statement. NO COERCION. ■ \ ___ • MR. iSQUITH'S STATEMENT. Received Nov. 17, E. 3 p.m. London, Nov. IC. Mr. Asquith's explanation in the House of Commons to-day was awaited with intense interest. The Premier, however, refused to go beyond his statement of November 2. He added: "My confident hope is that there will be no coercion, as there will be an adequate response from all classes in recruiting, especially from the unmarried men." NATURALISED ALIENS. TFE CASE OF SIR ERNEST CASSEL. Received Nov. 17, 5.~> p.m. London, Nov. 10. The King's Bench considered the Sir Edgar Speyer and Sir Ernest Cassel cases. The Attorney-General and leading barristers commenced a vigorous argument as to whether the Statute prevented the King from making naturalised subjects members of the Privy Council.

Sir Ernest Oassel's affidavit (stated that he was naturalised in 1878, and had lived in England since 1871. His business and social interests were here, and !iis sympathies had always been with England. All his male relatives of military age were serving with the British forces, and he was deeply attached to the country. Th* htorajr was adjournal.