The Daily News. FRIDAY, JANUARY 7, 1916. BRITAIN'S RECRUITING PROBLEM.

Taranaki Daily News, 7 January 1916, Page 4

The Daily News. FRIDAY, JANUARY 7, 1916. BRITAIN'S RECRUITING PROBLEM.

The British Government and the House of Commons are at present facing one of the most momentous issues in the history of the'"country, and it is only natural that the excitement.of the occasion is tense. In the opinion of those responsible for the conduct of the war the existing system of voluntary enlistment, if riot modified, would he unequal to ' maintenance of Britain's large army by the constant supply of reserves for replacing the. wastage of war and securing victory. The position of affairs, moreover, is complicated by the pledge given by the Prime Minister (.Mr. Asquith) in connection with Lurd Derby's recruiting campaign, to th; effect that the married men would siul be ! called upon until after the unmarried list had been exhausted. Accordingly Mr. Asquith has introduced in the House of Commons the Military Service No. 2 Bill, which practically renews the pledge given by him by making enlistment compulsory on the part of eligible unmarried men, subject to certain exemptions which have been devised to meet all possible cases of hardship. Mr. Asquith made it quite clear that, personally, he was averse to conscription, as he considered that at present no eas_e had been made out for general compulsion; also that he had hoped to finish the war successfully without changing the system. He also pointed out that his pledge to the married men was given because there was overwhelming evidence that they were hanging back in large numbers, and that if the assurance had not been given the whole campaign would have broken down. It has been generally recognised that the voluntary system would stand or fall by the result of Lord Derby's campaign. The report presented by Lord Derby states that 1,150,000 unmarried men and 1,679,263 married men enlisted, attested, or were J rejected, gut of 2,17»,?31 aad 2,882,210'

avaikMc, while 651,000 unstmsd (those "engaged on special work either fpr war or industrial purposes) and unmarried were not. accounted for. These figures be*r splendid testimony to the fact thsit the hearts of the people generally arc in the war, and that the spirit of patriotism is commenda'bly high in the Old Country. Additional evidence ot tais fact was furnished by Lord Kitchener when, in addressing the House of Lords, lie stated that in the early stages of the war men had enlisted in almost embarrassing thousands, and that the response to the call to arms had given far greater results than the most sanguine had dared to predict. That nearly three million men should have been found willing to serve as the result of Lord Derby's campaign can justly be regarded as a veritable triumph, but the actual number of available men, after deducting those starred, the rejected, and the unfit most materially alters the aspect of affairs, for the unmarried men are only estimated at 343,386, and the married at 487,020; yet Mr. Asquith states that there are over a million immediately available. Assuming that the Premier's statement is correct, the pledge to the married men lias still to be carried out, and that involves the compulsory service of such of the 050,000 unaccounted for unmarried men who are not exempt under the provisions of the Bill, and as these exemptions are fairly far reaching, including even the conscientious objectors, the outlook is none too [promising. The Bill only affects one class, and that for the duration of the war, and Mr. Asquith justly claims that even those who, like himself, are keen supporters of voluntaryism can sineerely support the measure for the reason that its scope is limited, hut its becoming law is a matter of necessity as well as of expediency. It may be that a proportion of those whom the compulsory powers of the Bill are intended to operate upon may welcome the demand on their services although they lield back from enlisting, but whether that is the case or not the British Government has a perfectly plain duty to perform and U facing that duty with the same determination that has hitherto marked the conduct of the war on their part. The wastage of war must be replenished if victory is to be achieved, and we cannot for a momnet conceive that the Bill will encounter any serious opposition when its provisions are clearly understood. It is in every way fitting that the Imperial authorities should lead the way in this new departure, and establish a principle that may receive the endorsement of the Dominions by enactments of a similar nature. The only objection to the Bill in its present form is that, apparently, the exemptions are given too wide a scope, hut the service and appeal tribunals may safely be trusted to see that no hardships are imposed. The problem had to be solved sooner or later, and the Government is only performing an imperative duty in providing for the emergency that has arisen relative to the shortage of men. The House should loyally support the Bill, now that its necessity has been demonstrated. This is no time for narrow views or iveakly sentiment, hut for virile action wMoh will convince the enemy that the Allies are of one accord in their determination to see the war through to a successful conclusion, and are animated by the true spirit of sacrifice in order to attain the end in view.