Republican farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1810-1920, 1918-02-22
$4,000 BRITISH
SUBJECTS join
FIGHTING FORCES
With Coming Draft Figures
Will Take Big
Jump.
CANADIANS CAN'T
ESCAPE SERVICE
American Four Minute Men
Will Assist to Obtain
Voluntary Enlistments

Chicago, Feb. 16-More than 10, 900
British subjects resident in the United
States have enlisted in the fighting
forces of Great Britain and Canada,
with the probability that the recipro-
cal draft agreement which has just
been reached between the United
States, England and Canada will
cause these figures to leap upward
rapidly, according to statement
10000 citizens of the British Empire
made here by the British Canadian
Recruiting Mission. These figures,
however, are considered low by mem
bers of the Chicago division head
quarters of the mission .hich an
nounces that there are no less than
20 900 citizens of the British Empire
in the United States eligible for SER
vice.
British and Canadian subjects in
this country cannot possibly escape
liability for service, according to Gen
eral w. A. White, head of the Brit
ish-Canadian Recruiting Mission. AS
soon as Congress acts favorably on
| the reciprocal draft agreement he
| stated in a despatch to the Chicago
| division. the British subject will be-
come much more liable for service
| than the American
| With the announcement that the
reciprocal draft agreement had been
reached, the energies of the recruit
| ing mission were redoubled in an eff
| fort to get as many men as possible
to enlist without awaiting the draft
The commission hopes to double the
number of British enlistments in this
country before the draft becomes eff
fective.
| Under the new reciprocal arrange
ment Chicago officials of the commits
sion point out that British subjects,
for the first time, are placed on an
equal footing the world over" The
same age limits and other conditions
affecting British and Canadian sub
| jects in their home countries. will be
applied to those in the United States
making all natives of the United
Kingdom who are between the ages
of 20 and 40 years eligible, but sub
| jects to the same exemption rights as
men living in England or Canada.
This is a perfectly fair arrange
ment," said General White in his tele-
graphic instructions, "for it compeIs
every man who claims British citi-
zenship to place himself on practically
the same footing as his fellow country.
men at home"
According to General White, Brit
ish subjects will be given 60 days
after enactment of the reciprocal
draft measure to join the English
|
period that the mission plans to
launch nationwide campaign.
To aid in this work an effort is DE.
ing made to obtain the services of the
American -Four Minute Men" who
are expected to join in a British
Brothers week" giving the mission
the services of $4,000 speakers. In
addition patriotic moving pictures
will be flashed before 100000 per-
sons daily and members of the mis-
sion, aided in many cases by friendly
action by State Councils of Defense
will increase their efforts.
In urging the speeding up of Brit
ish and Canadian enlistments General
White said:
What we need at present is mar
power. If the Britisher enlists with
US he can get to Europe quickly and
be made effective much sooner thar
if he waits a few weeks longer fol-
the draft"
Branch depots of the mission have
been established in every principa
center of the United States, each de-
pot being in charge of an officer who
has seen active service. Most of these
officers, according to a statement
given out at the Chicago office, wear
on their sleeves that badge of suffer
ing, the wounded Stripes" an& many
of them are doing recruiting duty
while on sick leave from the battle
lines.