The Dominion WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 1916. TRADE OR VICTORY ?

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2702, 23 February 1916, Page 4

The Dominion WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 1916. TRADE OR VICTORY ?

The manner in which the -very limited measure of compulsion adopted in Britain is being whittled Way by the great number of exemptions which are being granted is causing a good deal of anxiety to tho Government and the military authorities. It is feared that unless the recruiting tribunals take up a much stricter attitude the results of the Derby campaign will fall far short of expectations, and that other steps may have to be taken to secure the required number of men to ensure victory. Recent cablegrams state that there is a great rush for exemptions, and that ho fewer than 80 per cent, of the applications havo been granted. The position has become so serious that the* War Office has set up a special committee to revise tho list of reserved occupations. It has also been found necessary to draw up fiesh instructions to tho tribunals based upon the unassailable principle that tho claims of private business must be subordinated to national necessity. During the recruiting campaign the question of reserved occupations was frequently discussed, and in his final report to tho Government, issued on January 4, Lord Derby uttered the following note of warning:—

I have already drawn attention in my previous report to the detrimental effect that the issue from time to time of lists of "reserved" occupations has had on recruiting. Even since that reportivas written further and lengthy lists have Been issued. I do not presume to Jtafo what are or are not industries indispensable to this country, but if there is to be any further reservation of occupations it is quite clear that the figures I lravo Riven above must be subject to a reduction, and I cannot help hoping that there should he some finality to the issue of these lists. .

Lokd Dekby felt that tho proportion oi single men who were "starred" or "reserved" was excessive, and he urged that wherever possible they should be replaced by older and married men. The number of exemptions obtained by single men appears to bo so large that the Governpledge that the married men who signify their willingness to serve will not be called up until-after the unmarried have joined the colours is being nullified to a large extent. _ This may lead to further difficulties. The \doinand for a much stricter ■ interpretation of the word ''indispensable" is undoubtedly justified if'we may regard the cases quoted in yesterday's issue as really typical. It may _bo inconveniont for a firm to be deprived of the services of a certain employee, but that should not be sufficient ground for including him in the list of "indispensables." The public must expect to put up with inconvenience in time of war, and business cannot go on quite as usual. The great majority of the business men know that they must make many sacrifices. They are playing their part in a fine spirit. The British Trade Commissioner (Mr. Damon), in the course of an address whioh he gave yesterday to members of the New Zealand Club, said the British manufacturers were going to seo the war through. He had asked many of them what they were going to do about orders that they were- unable to fulfil. They replied that they could do nothing, and whether they lost trade or kept it, they must first of all complete their Government contracts. This is the spirit that wins wars.

Trade or Victory 1 The choico must be made. National necessity —that is, tho necessity of'winning this war—must be the first and paramount consideration. Great as is tho Importance of maintaining tho trade and industry of the country, tho defeat of our enemies is still more important. The Army is in need of the- services of every 'unmarried man who is physically fit and of military age, and no such man should be exempted exccpt ,for tho very strongest reasons. In discussing tile exemption problem the military correspondent of the London Times declares that "exceptional ingenuity has been displayed in cutting off from tho Army numbers of men who should be in it." Tho pledgo to married men reduces the net results of- tho Dehby campaign to those single men who pass ' tho medical examination and are not transferred to some other class by the local tribunals. Recruiting efforts are further hampered by tho long list of reserved trades and ot*. -cupatione, so that it Li uncertain

whether even compulsion, applied under these conditions, can provide aU the fighting men the nation requires. It is, of course, highly desirable that everything possible, in the circumstances, should be done to keep tho country's export trade going in order to finance the war. Britain's exports amount to about £400,000,000 a year. These are big figures. But the war is costing £2,000,000,000 a year and thousands of lives. It is impossible to resist tho argument of the Times military correspondent when he asserts that no commercial considerations should be allowed to stand in the way of speedy victory, for victory 'in battle carries with it tho other kinds of victory—commercial and diplomatic. Tho supply of recruits must, therefore, bo kept up at all costs. Thia year, 1916, will probably bo the decisive year of the war, and tho most memorable year in the history of our Empire. The need for fighting men was never more urgent. The call comes to the young men of New Zealand with the same insistency as to their fellows in Britain. .Wo must do all that is required of us. The voluntary system is now being put to the final test. If it fails to enable Now Zealand to fulfil all its military obligations, compulsion must come, and eomo quicky.