Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-06-12
COMPULSORY MILITARY
SERVICE BILL IN CANADA
All Men Between Twenty and Forty
Five Years of Age Liable to
BE Called i'm Rotation.
DIVIDED INTO TEN CLASSES
Premier Borden, in Presenting Meas
ure, Declares II Necessary That
Suitable Persons Shall BE Brought
TO Arms by Force.
lBy As.ocia,ca rrcs..l

OTTAWA. June IA bill for com
pulsory military service by Canadians
between the ages Of twenty and forty
tive years Was presented in the House
"f Commons to-day by Sir Robert
Borden.
The Premier said that on January J.
1915 he had authorized the enlistment
Of 100000 men for overseas service and
tho offer was taken as a pledge tina,
tn" number would bc raised Under
tn" voluntary system more than 800. 1000
men had been raised. and their services
had brought cheer to the British and
glory to Canada. he declared Lately
tho number of men volunteering had
fallen off. while the demand for men
increased. Sir Robert explained To
date Canadians had suffered casualties
to the number of $4,000. In April and
May last ll.7oO men had been enlisted
In Canada. while there had been 1872
casualties among Canadians ut the
front There were under arms enough
Canadians to supply rc-cnforcc'a ,nts
for some time to come, but. for military
reasons. he could not say how long.
GREAT NJ MBE:R or SUITABLE
Eut during the next seven months.
To keep four Canadian army divisions
in the field. tho enlistment of 1000
men Was needed. and TO keep i've divi-
sions in the field $1,000 men were
needed. he pointed out. There WAS
"a greater number Of suitable men in
Canada II had been decided that they
should be brought to arms by compul-
which had been on the statute books
Tor forty-nine years. were liable for
the defense OF the country and liable
TO be sent abroad if the government
decided that in defending the country
they fight beyond its boundaries.
To-day the ;irst line of Canadian
defense was in the North Sea with the
British feet, and in the trenches OF
France with the Canadian divisions.
When the Canuuians at Ypres barred
1916, they barred the way also TO Lon
don to HalifaS and TO Montreal.
II will not shrink" he declared. from
the determination TO support and main
tain the Canadian troops at the front.
They have seen their friends and com
rades easpinG in torture from poison
gas. They Eave seen their friends
struck down; they have Grin.ly held
trenches under enemy artillery when
we lacked guns and ammunition: they
swept the height Of Nimy ridge: they
went forth splendid in their youth.
They will come back. grim. determined
men. who not once or twice but nifty
times have gone over the parape, TO
seek their rendezvous with death. If
what is left of 100000 such men come
back to Canada with fierce resentment
in their hearts, conscious that they
have hecn deserted and betrayed. how
shall we face them when they ask the
reason? ! am net so mu n concerned
for the day when this bill becomes law
as for the day when these men return
If IL is denied"
DOES NOT PROVIDE
GENERAL ENROLMENT
The compulsory service bill as cx-
plaincd by the Prime Minister does not
provide for a general enrolment of
Canadians Of military age. but declares
all Canadians between twenty and
forty-fvc years liable for service and
divides them into ten classes. which
rll l.n 81. i.1 In, rfs.