Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-12-23
PARLIAMENT VOTES
TO INCREASE ARMY
BY MILLION MEN
Tenant Says 1t Is Largest
Ever Raised in Great
Britain.
INTERESTING FIGURES ON
RESERVE REQUIREMENTS
No Official Confirmation to Re-
ported Russian Occupa-
ton of Varna.
OPERATIONS ON WESTERN LINE
Leading English Bankers Appeal to
Nation to Unite in Meeting Wars
Money Requirements.

LONDON, December 23.-Thc House
of Commons TODAY passed bills pro-
longing the life of the present Parlia-
ment eight months and increasing the
strength Of the British army l.O00 100
men. Both bills were passed without
discussion.
The army bill was passed in commit
tee of the whole at last nights session,
after fourteen hours sitting The de
bate OH this bill to-day. prior, to it's
final passage, was brief and without
feature.
The newly authorized army. H. T.
Tenant. Parliamentary Secretary of
the War Office, stated to the House to-
night. is the largest army ever raised
in this country. Mr.. Tenant gave in
terestng figures the large reserve
requirements of the army under modern
war conditions, saying that Il was
necessary to have at home in reserve
is men for every soldier in the field
This estimate was ba sed OH the monthly
wastaGc of - per cent, which was the /,
experience of the first year of the war.
Thus the army OF 1,25o.O0O. which
figures were. given by Premier Asquith
yesterday as the present British force
abroad. required 100000 reserves i'm
100000 necessary for the prosecution
one year.
UNABLE TO ANTICIPATE
PREMiER'S STATE,-ENT
Mr.. Tenant regretted that he was
unable in any way to anticipate he
Prcniiers statement as to the numbers
enrolled under Lord Derby's scheme.
He said he could only share the hope
of the members that the number OF
young unmarried men who failed to
enroll was 4 negligible quantity, tut
he added: I'VE believe that the great
majority of the members of Parliament
rs we'll us the people of the country
are prepared to support whatever is
recommended by the government, and
If ii is found necessary to resort to
compulsion. the government will have
the great bulk of the country behind
it,"
Premier Asuuith announced earlier in
the day that the report on the Derby
scheme will be made 10 Parliament i'm
medintely after the holiday recess
The second American note to Austria
shared the leading positions in the late
London newspapers with the reports OF
the Russian success ut Narna Bull
garia's chief seaport.
TOO LATE FOR EXTENDED
EDITORIAL COMMENT
The note appeared here too late for
extended editorial comment but the
headlines reelected the opinons-"Not
Couchcd in Sharp Enough Tone: "All
Discussion About Details Swept Aside;
OF. mo Further Discussion Appears
Possible"
Up to late hour there was no Of
ficial confirmation to the report OF
Russian occupation OF Narna, which. tf
true, is. according to the London
editors. ''one of the greatest moves of
the present war
The same critics believe that the
Russian assault on Varna is the pre-
ludc To 4 new effort for Constantinople.
which is less than $50 miles distant.
On the western front the success of
the French at Hartmanns- W Weilerkopf,
In the NoSgcs is regarded in the alliGd
capitals as not only brilliant, but n
useful operation at point where the
situation has been most difficult for
many months. The number of prison
crs is the largest taken on the western
front since the great Champagne
Loos offensive
The English public takes much pride
In the manner in which Australia has
'ihsh the WItnuraWal from ti2illpOn
This attitude is summed up by an Aus
tralian newspaper in the words of Lin
coins Gettysburg speech:
I'VE here highly resolve that these
dead shall not have died in vain; that
this nation, under God, shall have
new birth OF freedom"
BANKERS OF NATION
MAKE THEIR APPEAL
The most important developments OF
the evening III Great Britain were AT
appeal by the leading bankers to the
the wars financial requirements. and
il speech by David Lloyd George, the
Minister OF Munitions, at Newcastle TO
the trade union officials of the country,
appealing to them for assistance in oh +
tanning 10000 skilled workers. which
he demanded in his speech in Parlia-
ment a few davs ago
The reports Of the Rcichstag discus
sions have aroused some interest in
the entente capitals. where the So
cialist attitude is being closely fol-
lowed. many believing that some sec
ton of the Socialist group in Germany
may prove TO be the ultimate channel
of peace negotiations. y Copenhagen
dispatch declares that the Socialist
party in Germany is now completely
divided. twenty-one members having
seeded, and formed q new party with
an independent organization.
LEADING ENGLISH HANkEns
ISSUE PIBIIC MANIFESTO