Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-11-17
LORDS HEAR STAFF
OPENLY ATTACKED
Baron St. Davids Says Members
Are Incompetent and Neg
lectful of Duty.
WOMEN AT HEADQUARTERS
Some Men Directing British
Forces Who Should Be
in Trenches.
WOMEN AT HEADQUARTERS

plants aS TO failures Of the staff
work.
Baron ST. Davids asserted that men
had been added to the staff for no mill
tary reasons who ought to be in the
trenches. and that he had been told
that the British headquarters staff
was five or six times as large as tina;
he continued. that women visited head
quarters in France. and he asked
whether the government, defended their
presence there
Baron Newton who said he was un-
able to disclose the number of the Brit
count fialdane. the former Secretary
for War
MAKES ATTACK WITHOUT
ADEQUATE INFORMATION
Lord Tialdane declared that Baron
st. Davids had launched lis attack
without adequate information. TT is
truc.' he said. that the country has
suffered owing to the want OF an or
ganized general staff. Nevertheless.
there has been evolved general staff
OF the highest order. To say that the
work of the staG is "A failure is to saw
something which is very far from the
truth. As for Field Marshal French.
he is up nj o'clock in the morning.
The Marquis OF Crewc said that from
his knowledge OF Field Marshal French
he thought 1t exceedingly unlikely that
he would submit TO having persons
forced upon his personal staff Lord
Crewe had no hesitation in saying that
unless women had business at head
quarters they ought MOTTO go there
ADMIRAL LORD FISHER
REPLIES TO CHURCHILL.
Admiral Lord Fisher, the former
First Sea Lord of the Admiralty, made
a brief but striking answer in the
House of Lords to-day to Winston
Spencer Churchill's statement in the
House of Commons yesterday, in which
Mr.. Churchill complained that he had
not received from Admiral Fisher with
respect 10 the Dardanelles attack the
clear guidance before or the firm sup
port after TO which he was entitled.
Certain references" said Lord
Fisher. were made to me in the
speech delivered yesterday by Mr.
Churchill. have been sixty-one years
in the service of the country. and 7
relieve my hands of the responsible :
ties of my countrymcn. The Prime
Minister said Mr.. Churchill had said
ono or two things he would better not
have said. and necessarily had naturally
left unsaid some things which would
have 10 be said. ] am content to wait.
1t is not fitting to make personal cx-
plantations affecting national interest
when my country is in the midst OF a
great war"
Lord Fisher thereupon rose and left
the house.
AS0UITH STILL HOPEFUL.
OF VOLUNTARY SYSTEM
Premier Asauith is still hopeful tina I
the voluntary system Of recruiting in
the United Kingdom vii; succeed
The Premier stated in the House of
Commons to-day that it was mis- hope
and belief that coercive measures
would not have TO be cesor5cd to-
The Premier said he was confident
that Lord Dcrby's committee would
elicit an adequate response. particularly
from unmarried men from the coun
try.
MIR Asqui,h. to quiet the fears of the
decision regarding compulsory enlist,
ment would be taken without the con-
sent of Parliament
COMPLAINS OF IMPRESSION
CONVEYED BY CIRCULAR II
James Henry Thomas. Labor membc r
for Derby. complained that the Earl
of DeIhy's circular conveyed the i'm
preston that conscription would he
enforced after November 80. That. he
declared. would be violation of the
agreement with the Labor party. lie
did not believe the government would
be able to force a conscription bill
through the House OF Commons nor
did he believe the voluntary system of
enlistment had failed
Andrew Bonar Law. Minister for the
Colonies. said that while at the o.,t-
set of the war he believed conscrip-
ton the best system. he realized that
recourse to ii now might cost too much,
since it would divide the nation The
whole question depended upon whether
under the voluntary system All the
men necessary to win the war could
be obtained. He contendcd that they
would II tho voluntary system were
given a fair chance.
Bonar Law ridiculed the idea that Lord
Derby intended to suggest that il every
eligible unmarried man did not enlist
those who stayed behind would he com
PEELED TO join the colors before married
men were called on.
What Lord Derby meant was if there
was general shirkage among the un-
married. then they would he made 10
enlist.
cnrNc Nnurr.o