BRITAIN'S PART.

Press, Volume LII, Issue 15486, 13 January 1916, Page 7

BRITAIN'S PART.

THE NEED FOR MEN. MILITARY SERVICE BILL. SECOND READING DEBATE. (By Cable.—Pieas Association.—Copyright.) (Received January 12th, 8 p.m.) LONDON, January 11. In the House of Commons, Mr Asquith, in reply to a question, said Cabinet was unanimous that the men provided for in the Military Service (No. 2) Bill -were indispensable to the Army. The question of the minimum number of male workers required for industrial pui-poses, overseas trade, and other vital interests of the Empire, "was engaging the most serious attention.

On the motion for the second reading of the Military Service (No. 2) Bill, Mr W. C. Anderson, Labour member for Attercliffe, moved the rejection of the Bill.

Mr' W. Thome (Labour) protested, amid chcors, that Mr Anderson did not represent the Labour Party.

Mr Anderson denied that anything like goneral consent in tho House or i-he country was in favour of the measure. Thero was no evidence that the "slackers" were more than a negligible quantity. If the Bill was passed it would be impossible to defend the principle of taking an unmarried man of forty years of age in preference to a married man of twenty. Therefore we wero starting towards universal conscription.' Ho believed the measure foreboded an Industrial Compulsion Bill, the result of ideas that had been germinating in Mr Lloyd George's mind for some time. Tho latter had presented an ultimatum to Mr Asquith on his return from Glasgow.

Mr Asquith: "Mr Lloyd George lias not made a communication of any sort to me."

Mr Anderson: "It is so reported in the 'Daily Mail.' " ,

Mr Asquith: "I cannot contradict every lying report."

Continuing, Mr Anderson said the Bill meant the subjection of the workers to tho capitalists. If Mr Asquith proceeded with the Bill, he was looking for trouble and would get it.

Mr J. Redmond (Nationalist) intimated that tlio Nationalist Party would not further oppoao the Bill. Mr Redmond said he had not changed his views regarding tho measure. > Only national necessity could justify its introduction. Since the division ho and bis colleagues had found it was a purely English Bill. As thero was a ten to ono majority in its favour, tho Nationalists felt they would incur a gravo responsibility by continuing their opposition.

Sir Edward Carson said he recognised Mr Redmond's sincerity, but ho regretted that he had not gone a step further and allowed Ireland to be included. The Bill had been delayed to the last moment. The Dardanelles undertaking was admirably conceived, but it had failed owing to the shortness of men. Not a single argument had been advanced to show how we could carry out the war without men. As an alternative arguments were used that we would injure this or that industry by taking more men. What did it all matter so long as wo won the war? The opponents of the Bill "wore doing an ill service to their country by referring to the extension of compulsion. The Bill was tho most anaemic he had ever known. The question of industrial compulsion required examination as to whether it •would do more harm than good. If it would shorten the war, why shirk it? Ho would not shrink from conscription of property if it was needful. He was profoundly disappointed with the Coalition Government for excluding Ireland, which had not done half as well as Britain in the matter of recruiting.

LABOUR PARTY'S ATTITUDE

CONFERENCE WITH MR ASQUITH. LONDON, January 11. The Labour Party has accepted Mr Asquith'c invitation to discuss certain aspects of the Compulsion Bill.

COMPULSION IN BRITAIN.

GERMAN INTEREST. THINLY VEILED ANXIETY. ("Times" and "Sydney Sun" S«rr:ces.) LONDON, Januair UThe German Press is showing the keenest interest, thinly veiling its anxiety over the question of _ compulsion in England. Every detail of the campaign is religiously reported. It is evident that the enemy finally realises the incalculable 6igniticanco < of Great Britain's decision to throw per full military strength into the scales. The recent myth that the Huns had only an academic interest in the question of compulsion in Britain has now lieen abjectly abandoned. For the past week English news has occupied columns on the front pages of the leading papers. Not only arc developments in and out of Parliament closely reported, but tho trend of the comment in tho British newspapers is carefully watched, and elaborate quotations are published. Tho German correspondents have apparently been instructed not to sparo expense in chronicling the progress of compulsion. Comment in the German Press is restricted, but the utmost prominence is given to every trace of opposition to tho Bill. Sir J. A. Simon's speech was reported at length.

IRELAND'S RESPONSE

MORE INTERESTING FIGURES. (Received Januaiy 12th, 9,20 p.m.) LONDON. January 11. In the House of Commons, Mr Birrell said it was estimated that there were 400,000 unattested single men of military age in Ireland. Of this number 250,000 were engaged in agricultural "work, 25,000 in munitions and shipyard work, and 10,000 in railway and seafaring occupations. Altogether the necessary reductions, left a reservoir of SO,OOO men.

THE MUNITIONS BILL.

PROGRESS IN THE HOUSE OF LORDS. (Received Januarv 12th, 9.20 p.m.) LONDON. January 11. In the House of Lords tho Munitions Bill was read a second time.

CONSCRIPTION OF WEALTH.

ADVOCATED BY "DAILY MAIL."

(By Cable.—Proas Association.—Copyright.) LONDON, January 11.

The "Daily Mail," in a leading-article, advocates the introduction of compulsory investments in war loan stock, the limitation of 'imports by licenses and permits, and compulsory limitation of the rate of living. The article says it is believed that drastic compulsion of money for rich and poor alike will meet •with less opposition than the Military Service Bill.

The "Daily Mail" announces that a. Treasury Committee is organising a campaign with the object of securing surplus wages a d profits under a scheme of compulsion, if voluntaryism in the mobilisation of money fails.