New Britain herald., 1915-12-29
MODIFIED FORM OF
 CONSCRIPTION BILL
Decided Upon By Members of
 British Cabinet

London, Dec. 29, 1:30 a. mt is stated on excellent authority that the cabinet has virtually decided upon a l modified form of conscription bill, to be introduced in the House of Com mons next week, giving the govern ment the necessary power, should it be found needful, to bring in single men and preserve Premier Asquiths pledge to married men.
 With the reopening of Parliament only a week distant, there was another protracted session of the British cab- inet today. It is said that no final decision is likely until after several further meetings of the premier and his advisers.
 Crowds Assemble.
 Sensational press reports of the cab 1net situation aroused such an unusual public interest in today's assembling that the police were forced repeatedly to clear Downing street of the crowds
 In the absence of any official state ments 1t is difficult to say exactly how serious is the present situation of the cabinet. The members certainly main- tain the appearance of outward calm, which would hint that the difficulty is more matter of decided on methods and details than a radical difference on basic principles.
 The press has again divided itself into two groups which may most readily be defined in the American phrase as for" and against the government. The latter group insists that the cabinet is hopelessly divided and must surely split on the situation created by the results of the Derby scheme, while the former group de- clares that the alleged crisis is largely the product of excited agitation led by the Northcliffe press, and that such differences as exist in the cabinet are still capable of being merged into a common policy, if the task is not made impossible by outside agitators
 The truth probably lies somewhere in the middle ground between these two views. It is admitted that diffi- culties have arisen in connection with the Derby figures-that in certain parts of the country single men have not enrolled in such numbers as would warrant an impartial tribunal in de- c1aring that only a negligible percent
 
 dently stated that the cabinet as whole accepts this fact.
 Asquith's Pledge.
 Premier Asquiths pledge; as stated specifically in an open letter to Earl Derby, stands good, and the cabinet is agreed it must be fulfilled in the letter and the spirit For the govern ment knows full we'll that the pre- r11in ,,Io ried men was the sole reason for the wholesale response of the married men. Up to the moment of that dec- laration, the married men held back, but as soon as MT. Asquith's pledge was given they stepped forward in numbers which were a surprise even to Lord Derby.
 Intermediate Step.
 There is a considerable body of opinion which believes that the time has not yet arrived to go to the ex- treme length of putting wholesale compulsion into effect This opinion feels that some intermediate step is yet possible; that the Derby scheme has only fallen slightly short and that perhaps recanves or another appeal might bring in a considerable part of l
 
 The Manchester Guardian asserts | that Lord Derby's canvass was done so ] that at least 100, 900 unmar- ried men were never invited to enroll. Moreover, it is maintained that there is necessarily enorn ous difficulty in the Derby figures and a con- siderable part of the slow-moving English public opinion revolts at Jumping hastily at conclusions, which would mean a change in the organic law of the country.
 Opinion of Press.
 The supporters of the voluntary sys- tenn are emphatic in declining to abandon it until some means have been taken to insure that the Derby scheme cannot be made a success. The newspapers long ago lined themselves up on the present issue, but the evening newspapers have talk en a more detached view, and their opinion therefore is more interesting. The following extracts are characteris- tic:
 The "Pall Mall Gazette" says: "The utmost confidence is still felt that the cabinet will meet parliament again as united body, with plan that will meet the imperative needs of the sit uation and at the same time dispose of the demand for a general election un- til after the war"
 The "Westminster Gazette says:
 "The task of patriotism at this mo- ment is to keep silence or, at least to say nothing that can embarras and the government"
 The Star says: "The crisis which has arisen over the Asquith pledge is fo ic o Cf l