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Press, Volume LII, Issue 15479, 5 January 1916, Page 6

The Recruiting Campaign. The Prime Minister has issued another urgent appeal for recruits. He stresses the shortage in the Eleventh Reinforcements, and tells us again what i s tho plain duty of every fit man of military

ago whose real responsibilities do r.ot necessitate his remaining at home. The public, we fancy, is growing a little tired of theic appeals. When a Minister eays that tho seriousness of tho war is not fully realised the population, ho speaks truly enough. A good many people, however, are beginning to wonder whether it i s even realised by tho Government itself. It is a very long time sinco Ministers began to express anxiety concerning recruiting, and two months have passed sinco the National Registration Act was put into operation. Yet the public are still waiting for evidence that the re-

fruiting campaign announced by the Prinio Minister is arranged, and about to begin. In this matter our Government does not compare favourably with the Australian Ministry. The latest Australian papers abound in reports of tho formation of local recruiting committees to assist the campaign arranged by the Federal G :vernme::t's War Committee on November 2lth. Various points and difficulties which have inevitably arisen have been discussed and settled at conferences between the State and Federal War Councils, and, generally, the holiday season lias not in any way been allowed to interrupt tho expeditious arrangement of all the necessary machinery. Excepting for Mr Massey's exp'anation of the general outline of the scheme to be adopted here, the public knows of nothing that has been done, and is very much in tho dark as to the actur; step, to be taken. It may be that the holidays havo interrupted the activities of tho Government and its officials, and that as scon as they recover from the distracting influence of the holidays they will become very busy. There certainly should have been no interruption at all. 'I he shortage of recruits continues, and the difficulty of getting men will increase. The Government should sot to work now, without tho smallest delay, to make up for lost time. But ti'ie Government's duty docs not end there. The public ought to know on what principle tho recruits will be called up. Is it intended that all the men of rccruitable age will be asked to register, or only tho single men, or only tho singlo men without dependents? Are tho singlo men to be all canvassed at .once, or are the? to be canvassed in ago classes ? And . when it becomes necessary to call upon tho men to serve in what order arc they to bo called upon? Is it intonded to make sure of supplies for a good time ahead, say a year, or only for current drafts? What is tho position of the married man who is willing to serve? I s the British principlo to.be adopted? It is clearly necessary that the Government should havo a definite policy which will supply unambiguous answers to all these questions, but wo do not know whether the Government have decided upon a policy. If the Government are to talco tho matter up with the seriousness that Ministers recommond to the public, then the Prime Minister ought to 6how his earnestness by making a full statement. We do not need any more adjurations and exhortations from Ministers. excellent as these are. What is wanted is evidence of oner try a~d expedition and of a clear and far-sighted policy.