Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-10-17
ENGLAND WORRIED
BY C0NSCR|PT TON
Country Trying to Decide if 1t
Shall Force Citizens
Into Army.
OPINION SHARPLY DIVIDED
Government Begs in Vain for
Leaders Not to Discuss
Great Question.

Especial Gable to The Times Dispatch.1
LONDON. October l6.-Conscription
or no CONSUMPTION continues to be the
great question here. as indeed all over
England. and the discussion is rapidly
assuming very heated and bitter
form. In vain the government has
begged tho leaders OF the opposing
camps to consider the fact tina, a pucs-
ton Of such enormous Importance must
be settled by calmly celebrating all
details for and against. In vain it. has
argued that no elaboration is possible
in an atmosphere charged with bitter
ness and personal attacks.
The kernel of the whole question is.
Of course: Will 1t he possible to
achieve better results through general
CONSUMPTION than have been reached by
calling for volunteers? This is mere
question Of figures. which are available
to any intell!gcn, person who cares to
look into the facts
RECRUITING OFFICES
SWAMPED BY VOLUNTEERS
beginning of the war have volunteered
for military service abroad surpasscs
100000. a month or so ago the
weekly average of volunteers was very
much higher. In one day In September.
1919. no less than $4,000 recruits were
enlisted. The recruiting department
was swampcd and. In order to stem
the tide. they raised the required
height two inches, a mistake which a
high War Office official says was al
most enough to kill the whole move
ment
The number OF volunteers decreased
daily, because the impression spread
that the necessary number Of soldiers
had enlisted. The unhappy results Of
this mistake were more than made up
for first. by new urgent appeals for
men, and. second, because the Germans
committed the blundcr OF bomhard!ng
the open towns on EaglRnd's coast
The medical examination here being
very severe. 1t is not too much TO esti-
mate the number of volunteers rejected
rs unfit for military service at 1000
600 men. This means. then. that Of the
total male population Of Great Britain
between the ages of eighteen and forty
years. 100000 have volunteered for
war service but TO this figure must be
added at least 100000 men employed
in munit!on and gun factories and
other establishments supplying the
needs of tho army and navy. Then II
must also be remembered that more
than $4,000 men were already serving
the navy.
While IT is not possible TO arrive at
the exact number OF men. II may safely
be said that more than 100000 are
occupied In actua! war work, serving
with the colors at the front or at home.
and working in arm and munition fac
tories. II should then also be rcmcm-
bered that in this number is included
neither the Indian nor the Colonial
con,ingents.
The partisans OF compulsory service
say that. according TO the census OF
1911. there are in the country 5000. 900
men between eighteen and forty-nvc.
Figuring that 100000 men among
these would be needed in arm and am
munition factories. railway service and
semmilitary establishments, there
would still be 100000 men available
for active service in army and navy
on the basis of CONSUMPTION.
NEW RECRUITS ENLISTING
AT RATE OF 100000 4 MONTH
The voluntary system. rs seen above.
has given $500. 900 men now in active
service. while new recruits are enlist
ing at the rate of 100000 n month.
This appears to prove that we are not
far from the 100000 men that the
champions OF CONSUMPTION figure on
being able to raise with compulsory
service.
The believers in CONSUMPTION do not
deny that the voluntary system has
given excellent results, but they insist
that nothing but compulsion will make
thousands Of "shirkcrs" and "slackers"
join the colors. They also insist that
the voluntary system is draining the
country OF all It's best men, for those
who enlist are men who possess cour-
age, enthusiasm, initiative and intelli-
gence. while all the loafers, the cyclists
and the Indifferent ones stay at home.