The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-10-14
CONSUMPTION GAINS
IN BRITISH CABINET
Whole Ministry May Yield to
the Demands and Thus
Avert q Crisis.
KITCHENER FAVORS 1T
Special Gable Despatch TO The Sus.

special tdOte Despatch to The SrS.
LONDON, Oct. 13.-The matter of con-
scription am UP for more discussion at
a meeting of the Cabinet to-day. says
the Daily News, its advocates pressing
hard for a decision. The discussion.
however. was incomplete.
The Cabinet members who are in favor
OF conscription ave been on the point,
says this paper. of threatening to resign
unless their point was won. bur 1t is
believed now that such measures will
not be necessary, az there seems little
doubt that compulsory service will soon
be favored by the entire Ministry.
Lord Kitchener now definitely sides
with the conscriptionists. A total OF
5000 recruits weekly has beer asked in
n labor manifesto. but from the official
representation It is not likely that this
figure will be reached. 1t was announced,
however. in n Cabinet meeting yesterday
that the 10000 figure had been raised
unexpectedly to $4,000. although the
labor leaders nave not yet been offi-
cially notified.
Labor Men for COnscriptiOn.
A number Of the labor leaders in
Parliament are now inclined to favor
CONSUMPTION. These include Arthur
Henderson and W. II. Thomas. but tho
faction is In the minority. Sir Edward
Carson did not attend the Cabinet meet
ings either to-dry or yesterday. While
the Cabinet was in session to-day there
was a good deal Of excitement. rumors
or a deadlock passing about, but these
were only anticipations Of possibilities.
TIL Times deprecates the attempts ia
depict the conscriptionist Ministers AZ
forcing the issue and says that 1t ID
enough for the public to know that the
matter OF recruiting Is occupying the at
tention of the Cabinet. The problem has
been accumulated for the Cabinet by
Lord Kitchener's attitude.
Heretofore. the Times says, the people
have waited for IA declaration from
Kitchener as to whether the voluntary
system was adequate and AVE assumed
as he said nothing. that is was. T. The
Times declares that this comfortable de-
pendence on LORD Kitchener Is a mistake.
II il understood that his attitude re-
garding recruiting is not that he is more
inclined toward ~compulsion than for
merly. but that he does not regard him
self as responsible for choosing Tho
method of raising men
His position Is that he entered the
Cabinet as "A soldier Inc not rs a poll.
tician, that he is unfamiliar with social
and Industrial conditions. hat II Is foI
him to state the requirements and foi
the country to fulfil them. This atti-
tude, of course. the paper concludes
places IL very definite responsibility or
his colleagues. and the decision must
now be taken in "a sense independently
of Lord Kitchener.
Talk of General Election.
The Daily Chronicie says on what /,
terms unimpeachable authority tina,
there is no feverish Cabinet crisis and
that no designations are imminent. The
notion that the conscriptionists are con.
stantly holding over Premier Asquith's
head the threat of resignation Is said &c
he untrue. A small minority IL believed
10 banker after a general election. but
the majority regards this as unthink-
able.
The Government is TO be questioned
in the House Of Commons tomorrow re-
gard.ng h e recruiting question. and also
as to whether Lord Haldane has beeii
sent on u mission to Sir John French
and II no for what purpose.