The Washington herald., 1915-12-05
By JOHN r. BALDERsON.

Copyright, 1915 by Mcclure Newspaper SyndicafeJ
London, Nov. I4.-This is the story
of Lord Derby's great recruiting CAM
paign, and it may fairly be called the
inside story because many points
about the situation which cannot be
published in England or eabled to
America must be made clear before
American can understand the absorb
ing test which is deciding whether
Britain, in her hour of supreme ne
ccssity, will be forced to sacrifice the
ideal of personal liberty which she
bcuueathed to the United States.
Sometime in December.
During December, when the results
OF the campaign to the end of No
vcmber have been analysed, the gov
ernment will announce whether the
Derby scheme has brought in enough
of the available two million men now
being canvassed to make it evident
that practically all the men who
would be called up under conscription
can be induced to volunteer. That is
Lord Derby's aim. If he fails, COM
pulsion will be employed.
Before going into details of the on
siaught upon the reluctant two mil
lions, the last soldiers the British en-
pire can put in the field unless the
Dominions far exceed what is expect
cd of them, the present situation as
determined by the man responsible
for Britain's armies will be outlined.
Lord Kitchener has decreed that
seventy divisions shall be maintained
at full strength in the various thea
tcrs OF war As there arc 10000 men
in division, this means I,4oo 900 men
on or near the firing line.
Great Britain at present has about
100000 men under arms, including
the colonial troops. When the sew
cnty divisions arc at the front, there
will remain of this number Loo, 900
men at home.
\ minimum OF 100000 trained men
is required to guard England against
a sudden invasion, and the war office
estimates the rate of wastage in the
armies in the field at 100 per cent a
year.
Plenty Enough, He Says.
Ii. therefore, no more men were
obtainablc, the seventy divisions
which next spring will face the
enemy could be kept at full strength
only about seven months from the
available reserves, even assuming the
casualties this winter to be relatively
few. 1t takes seven months to train
a recruit, hence the absolute neces-
sity for a steady flow of raw mate
rial this winter to fill the gaps Ger
man machine guns will make in the
ranks next summer.
The government has determined to
put under arms in the next year two
million more men. The colonies may
raise their contribution, which now
stands at about $1,000 men, to 6oo,-
600, but the war office does not count
on more from this source, and COM
putes that 100000 more recruits
must be obtained in these islands if
the armies are to be maintained at
full strength for what is regarded as
the extreme possible duration of the
war, two years more.
$4,000 Every Week.
An average of $4,000 new recruits
each week for a year will do the
trick If this average can be main
tanned, the I,65o,ooo men will be
brought in, the armies provided for
and enough men left at home to keep
the nation going, in the government
view, although this last point is seri-
ously disputed. England cannot
finance the war for her allies as well
as herself if her industries are Grip
pied by the withdrawal of nearly
100000 workers, 10 per cent of the
entire population, say fnanciers and
economists; you cannot fight men
with money; history shows the men
always win, the militarists reply, and
it is their case that has won the day
in the council chamber.
The alarming fact which first led to
threats of CONSUMPTION and then to
Lord Derby's canvass is this:
During the period from August 90
October II an average of only 10000
men a week volunteered, and each
week from August e to October II