The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-03-15
FOUR MILLION Of
MEN FOR BRITISH
LAND AND SEA FORCES
Nar Estimates Include Expenditure
Of Three Millions Pounds
Sterling Daily.
CABINET MINISTER TELLS
OF RECRUITING DIFFICULTIES
Men Concealed Physical Defects az
Beginning OF War 10 Get Into Array:
They Now Feign Ailments In
Order To Keep Out

London, March fA.--An army
and navy of four million men In
provided for In tile war estimates
submitted to. the Mouse Of Conn
mons today by Under Secretary
for War remnant. The estimates
sterling daily for munitions
MIR. Teanant stated that the
provision Of acroplanes was now
satisfactory and even ahead OF
the supply OF engines and pilots.
The Under Secretary for War
dwtlt at length, in his address to
commons. upon the question of enlist
meHts and the supply % men He
stated that the government and the
minister of munitions were consider
ing especially the question OF single
men entering munitions factories to
escape military service. He said II
would be impossible to take every
single man out of the factories for
use in the army before drawing upon
th-' married men.
The difficulties experienced in keep
ing the recruiting at high mark were
explained at length by the speaker.
Where al the beginning of the war. he
said, men concealed their physical de-
fects In order to enlist, II now Is the
habit to feign defects in order to
escape service.
MIR. Tenant declared that at this
time ii would not he to the public in
terest to disclose the number of men
serving and in training in the army
He paid striking tribute to the dis
clpline OF the men. considering their
short training.
He further stated. much cheering the
members thereby, that the success oil
the recruiting attestation system. was
a strong augury of victory
Provision For Prisoners.
Referring to prisoners of war. the
TINT er Secretary announced that there
are now nineteen concentration camps
in The United Kingdom against seven
ty-two in Germany. Five German
ministers. he said. have been appoint
ed TO guard the spiritual welfare and
watch out for the interests of German
prisoners of wars
| The government, he added, Is max
ing arrangements to exchange with
the Turks for all prisoners Of war IL
the Ottoman hands
Premier Asquith, who lis suffering
from bronchial catarrh. was unable
to be present at the session today
Sir Edward Grey. Secretary fol
Foreign Affairs speaking in behalf O
the Premier. pointed out In connec
ton with the declaration of war upoi
Portugal by Germany that Portugal
at the outbreak of, the European hos
tilities had stated that under no cir
cumstances would she disregard he
alliance with Great Britain. datinI
back centuries,
No Payment VIII Now BE Made.
II regard To Portugafs pledge L
Germany that compensation would b.
pai3 for the seizure Of informed Ger
| man merchant vessels, which actor
brought the crisis in the relations o
the two nations. tho foreign secre
tary pointed out that the whole situa
ton now has been changed. No pay
n. ent for the reauisitioned ships vii
be made
/ All the assistance necessary IL
prosecuting the war, Portugal ha
been assured, will be provided b.
Great Britain and the OF. allies.
hi answer to interrogations, 81
Edward Grey declined to state wha
special terms had been required b,
Italy before that nation agreed. Ii
combination with the other allies, no
| to conclude a separate peace. TIL
Foreign Secretary stated that II woul,
| not be In the public interest to max,
| public at this. time the comraunica
| tions which passed between the tw,
countries,
Chancellor Of the Exchequer Regi
| maid McKenna announced TO tn
House that the government had de
cided not to issue premium war bonds