Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1917-04-24
GENERAL BRIDGES
SOUNDS KEYNOTE
Of BRITISH MESSAGE
England Was Saddled With
Volunteer System When
War Started
TT HAMPERED EVERY
PLAN OF DEVELOPMENT
ConscriptiOn at Beginning
Would Have 0bviated
Difficulties
BY George Martin

(Unlted Press staff correspondent
Washington, April 24.-Conscription
is vital to America before the nation
can have any success in the war.
Lieutenant General B. T. NJ. Bridges
stepped out of the great international
war council of the allies here to deliver
this message to the American people
today.
While congress wrangled over the Sc
lective CONSUMPTION bill out on capitol
hill, this tall, arrow straight fighter
in khaki, fresh from the front, counted
the cost of the volunteer system to
England
We were saddled with the volun-
teer system at the beginning of the
war;" said Bridges. " We would have
given anything to get rid of it.
1T hampered and retarded us in
every phase of our war evelopment.
The volunteer system threw the
best industrial forces OF the country
into the trenches when they were bad
ly needed at home; and it left at home
those whose places were at the front
of we had had eonscription at the
beginning it would have obviated our
later difficulties as to munitions, CO.
ordination of our national forces and
many other vital things"
The Lieutenant General Bridges
sounded the keynote of the British
commission s message to the American
people.
Must Go the Limit
lie said:
eff you're going to war you must
go the whole hog.
Men, women and children must all
fight, at home and at the front.
1T is no longer war merely of cx.
peditions.
cit s q. war of nations y
Lieutenant General Bridges then
made it clear that England believes
conscription alone, with the co-ordina-
tion of national forces it involves, will
enable America to speed the end of the
war.
FOur duty now is to speed up the
war; he said, forcefully.
g As to how it will end, it can only
end one way; and if everybody s back
is put to the job we can end it quick
ly. CONSUMPTION will insure that this is
done. +"
attitude toward conscription:
"The people of England are won to
universal service. They are strong for
conscription. l may say they are ia
natics on the subject.
"They opposed it only because they
.didn t know what it was. They now re-
.alize that it is simply the making Of
war on business principles. -
The calm, unimaginatiye commander
of fighting men then pointed out how
Lord Kitchener 5 volunteer recruiting
was the innocent means of retarding
England Is progress in the war:
It Was a Blunder
Kitchencr's problem was to raise
a volunteer army. 1t was wrong, but
h,chener who was a good soldier,
threw himself into the task and did it.
eff it hadn t been for Kitchener s
tremendous personality, we would have
had conscription very early in the war.
''lt was the great blunders of this
volunteer recruiting that we had to go
back and correct and at such great
cost. y
General Bridges stood in the mignifi-
cent, music room of the British quarters
on Sixteenth street.
He rose, tall and impressive, before
la background Of gorgeous American
beauty roses, which lent a peculiar
touch to the unusual scene.
After outlining the important steps
in the successful waging Of war, Gen
eral Bridges launched into a glowing
tribute Of the French.
"We We been sent here to greet a
great republic, which we hope is to
stand side by side with the French, our
greatest friends in Europe.
Our feeling for the French is past
friendship. 1t is loveship. In many
ways the characteristics Of the French
are like those of women Nothing
could break the bonds that now tie us.
"The French are great soldiers. They
are trained to any duty and almost au-
Itomatically assume this duty when sent
into the field. Whether country lad,
"a kitchen hand, a clerk-the French
imam has trained himself for part
and plays it promptly upon call.
French Taught Them
Until we fought side BY side with
the French we knew little Of warfare.
They were trained in times of peace.
Our men were clear eyed good looking
lmen-but not soldiers.
I And even as we, your people, with
their great freedom and lack of mill
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