The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-12-21
WANTS A MILLION
Asquith Says Britain Needs
Every Available HAN.
Premier Makes Plea in House
of Commons Today.
100000 NOW ON FIELD
National Life Depends Upon
Super Exertion Now.
Many of Wounded Are EX'
pected to Return to Front.

London, Dec. 21-Moving in the
house of commons this afternoon 1or
a new vote for an additional million
men, Premier Asquith made general
survey of the ever widening theater OF
war and the increasing responsibility
placed on this country for providing
arms and men.
Great Britain, he said, already has a
fighting force in the various theaters
of 1880. 600 men, and as the wastage
is enormous the country must ann AT
getting every man who is physically
qualified.
A large proportion of the wounded,
the premier said was able to return
to duty, but in addition to keeping up
the present armies to their nominal
strength, men were wanted for new
formations and to increase the aggre-
gate of Great Britain'S fighting forces.
Every Available Man.
Every available man should be put
in the field so far as was consistent
with provision for national necessities,
including munitions and the vast field
working of which the national life de-
pended.
Turning to the Dardanelles cam
paign, Mr.. Asquith said:
TT was with deep reluctance, that
we sanctioned the withdrawal espe-
call from Anzac where our Australian
and New Zealand kinsmen won undy-
ing fame. This withdrawal did not
involve withdrawal from Helle cat the
tip of GaIlipoli peninsula), where our
combined naval and artillery forces
commanded the entrance to the
straits.
Everything was brought off ex-
cept some stores and six guns which
were destroyed" The premier said
the men Withdrawn, after a short and
much needed rest, would proceed to a
new theater of operations. He paid
warm tribute to Generals Monroe and
Birdwood. Referring to operations of
the France-Belgian front the premier
complimented Field Marshal French
and his successor in commanding, Sir
Douglas Haig, and continued:
"a fortnight ago a most important
military conference was held in Paris
attended by representatives of the
staffs of France, Russia, Italy and the
United Kingdom. The leading STRAIT
egical problems were fully discussed
and certain extremely important con-
illusions reached with absolute
Matters Grow Better.
So far as the war as a whole went,
Mr.. Asquitf said it might be that at
this CT that moment what could be
called the superficial facts of the cam
paign seemed to be against the allies.
But the fundamental facts the.
facts that in the long run matters are
steadily and growingly on our SIDE"
he continued. There has been in
this war an abundance Of errors in
but they have not been
confined to our side.
so far as we in this country are
L know all our allies
are the same-our will has never wa
vered for a moment while our fight
ing resources. both in men and in
become every month more
ample in quantity and better mobil-
led and organized for the purposes
Of the campaign
Referring to the measures recently
taken to bring about closer co-opera-
ton among the allies, Mr.. Asquith
said it was hoped by all the nations
that this procedure would
lead to greater concentration of pur-
pose, coordination of plans, common
energy and effectiveness of action.
He added it was satisfactory, though
not surprising, to know there was not
1ne of the allies who is not as de-
-ermined as ourselves to win the war
and to have nothing to do with sep
arate peace, but to persist at all costs
until our supreme and common pur-
BOSE is achieved -