New Britain herald., 1916-01-05
CONFUSION BILL IN
 HOUSE OF COMMONS
Military Service Measure Intro
 duced By Premier Asquith
IRELAND IS EXCLUDED

Handicapped and Delayed by Lack
 Of Medical Examiners and Experi-
 enced Clerks.
 London, Jan. ,, 3:46 D. m.---Under
 the terms of the compulsory mili- tary service bill, introduced in the house of commons today by Premier Asquith, all males between the ages of IS and Al vine are bach elors or Widowers without children depend- ent on them are liable for military service.
 Ireland is excluded from the terms of the measure
 Exemptions From Service.
 Premier Asquth said exemptions from service could be claimed under the terms of the bill on the same grounds as in the case of men attested under the Derby plan. The grounds of exemption include conscientious ob- jection to performing military service.
 Other grounds for exemption from service, the premier said, included i'll health, physical infrmity, the neces- sity to support dependent persons and the fact of being engaged on work of national importance.
 The bill, MT. Asquith continued, was limited specifically to redemption of the promise he had made publicly to married men.
 Many Members Present.
 The largest assemblage of members since the war began faced the pre- mier. Many members had obtained leave to return from the front so that they might be able to vote on the conpulsion bill.
 The Earl Of Derby, who conducted the recruiting campaign, was in the peers gallery.
 MT. Asquith said no case had been made out for general compulsion, and that the bill he was introducing could be supported by those opposed to conscription
 Recruiting Plan Handicapped.
 London, Jan. 4. 11:55 a. m.-(De Iayed. )-The operation of the gov ernment's recruiting plan was handi capped and delayed by the impossi- bility of obtaining a sufficient num- Der of medical examiners and exper- fenced clerks, says Lord Derby today in a report answering criticism of inadequate arrangements during the abnormal flow of recruits at the eleventh hour. Hence while gross numbers are available up to the end of the period. Dec. Il. details of groups are forthcoming only up to Nov. 30 before the tremendous rush began.
 In the latter days of the canvass, says Lord Derby, especially in coun- try districts the starred lists proved unsatisfactory and recruits were in correctly described. This will call for further investigation.
 Not Lack of Courage.
 Lord Derby declares the canvass shows that it is not lack of courage which keeps men from enlisting. Many who are willing to go find them selves barred by domestic, fin ancial and business obligations and by the inadeQuacy of the separation allowances. This applies especially to professional and commercial men.
 The total number of men ready to bear arms obtained from enlist ments for the period between Oct. 23 and Dec. 15 is estimated in Lord Derby's report at 1,046,493. After deductions from the total number of attested men of the various classes indispensable for civil occupations the numbers available for military ser vice are 343,386 single men and 4S7,- 676 married. Adding those who en- listed for immediate service gives a total ready to bear arms of 446,3S6 single and 6OO,1O7 married.
 Unequal Treatment.
 "An obstacle to recruiting,'' says the report "has been the unequal treat ment of individuals. Parents and re- lations, especially cannot understand why their sons, husbands or brothers should join while other young men hold back and secure lucrative en- pioyment at home. Apart from the number of men who have actually en- listed and attested there are many who have promised to enlist when so and SO has also promised to go. There may of course be a number of men who make this answer as an ex- cuse. But that it is genuine in very large number of cases and is accen- tuated by bad starring there is no reason to doubt.
 'The canvass shows very distinctly that it is not want of courage that is keeping men back, nor is there the slightest sign but that the country as a whole is determined to support the prime minister in his pledge made at the Guildhall on November g, 1914, (regarding the calling out of married nlen,) as it was when the pledge was made. There is an abundance of evidence of determination to see the war through to a successful con- clusiOn"
 Report Made Dec. 12. This report was made on December 1 12. In a supplementary report made 1 on December 20, the Earl of Derby says: Large as are the figures, I am afraid that on analysis they do not | rove as satisfactory as I could have wished. Owing to the great rush or recruits it was impossible in many cases to have more than the m lost nn,cf11 inn1 ir1.l