The Washington times., 1915-08-15
ENGLISH Campaign
FOR CONSCR|PT|ON
Lord NorthcIiffe Will Begin This
Week a Wide Crusade for
Compulsory Service.

LONDON, Aug. Is An organized
campaign for conscription will be
started in England this week. All Lord
Northclifre's energy and mediums Of
publicity, It Is said, will be devoted to
this purpose.
Lord Northcliffe's plans have been in
the making for some time. BY means
of his papers he has long been prepar-
an extension Of the campaign In the
direction of public meetings. lectures,
demonstrations. and 30 forth, which
are intended to reach those OF the
population throughout the country
among whom his newspapers do not
circulate. He has enlisted the support
Of many influential persons, including
It is reported. more than one cabinet
minister
His chief support, i is said; Will com, come
tions minister, who will. 1t Is expected.
come out at the crucial moment with
| n declaration that conscription Is neces-
sary to victory.
Not TO Have Own Way.
Lord Northcliffe will not be allowed
| to have it all his own way. His plans.
quietly laid though they have been, are
known to the anti-conscriptionists, and
counterplans have been arranged on an
extensive scale. 1t will be battle
royal and prediction Of the result can
not be made.
Several ministers have admitted more
or less specifically that II 1t Cere
proved that conscription were a neces-
sary step to ,,, victory. they ,,s Would no. no.
members Of the present coalition cabi.
net, however, the point made ia that
voluntary enlistment has not yet been
proved "a failure.
There can be no objection to stating.
as has been stated in the press here.
that the voluntary enlistment system
still continues to bring in more men
than it is possible to equip. even at THIS
'tFro From one me point of view this is an
argument in favor Of conscrption. for
| 1t Is argued that were compulsion the
law of the land. there would have peen
by this time no inadeauacy OF EQUIP
ton that Lloyd-George Is believed to De
in favor of conscription. or. as 1t Is
better described. compulsory service:
IS Some Of h9rd sr6'ess Re's sa
to bring about the downfall Of the
present cabinet. Their belief Is based
on the assumption that the coalition
not agree to bring in compulsory serv.
ice bill. Premier Asquith In particular
is believed to be a strong. adherent OF
voluntary enlistment. which, he thinks
has shown Great Britain to be animated
with a spirit Of patriotism such as nc
amount Of Misrepresentation can depre.
ciate in the eyes Of the intelligent
| world.
May Force designations.
Should the coming campaign produce
popular efrervescence, which the exist
ing government could not afford to dis.
regard, then, 1t is argued. Mr.. Asquitt
and the other ministers who think as
he does would be obliged to resign theil
posts in order to make way for a gov.
ernment which would carry out the
popular behest.
That. according to his opponents. IL
really the object which Lord North
cliffe has in view. His friends. on the
tother hand. are equally convinced tha'
Inis motives are sincere and that he II
convinced that only compulsory service
can bring into play the whole might
Of Great Britain in what Is recognized
to be a life and death struggle.