COMPULSION.

Evening Star, Issue 15913, 20 September 1915, Page 6

COMPULSION.

LORD SELBORNE'S VIEWS. CALAMITOUS CONTROVERSY. LONDON, September 19. (Received September 20, at 8.10 a.m.) Lord Selborno (President, of the Board of Agriculture), speaking at Norwich, said ihat Lord Kitchener had consented to exempt skilled agriculturists from enlisting. He' warned the public to believe little of what they saw in the. papers regarding national service. Tiie present, controrersy was a national calamity. ADVICE TO FARMERS. TILL MORE LAND AND HELP THE COUNTRY. London 'Times' and Sydney 'Sun' Serrioet.. LONDON", September 19. Lord Selboriie told a conference of acricultunsts at Bristol that by producing more food in the coming year in England they would help the nation greatly. The fight was not only or.e with armies and fleets, but one of finance. In a few days they would hear from Mr M'Kenna (Chancellor of the Exchequer) the burden caused by the war, nnd it was something quite tremendous. Farmers were going to pay very heavy taxes. He did not ask them to diminish then- capital, but to sacrifice their leisure, convenience, customs, and habits. The .eturns showed that there were now 1,300,000 acres less of arable land in Englaad than in 1895. The present emergency needed an increased acreage. He asked fanners and landlords to set an example to trade unionists, and appealed to them to depart from the customs in which they had become rooted prior to the war. FRANCE EXPECTANT. London 'Times' and Sydney 'Sun' SerTicea. LONDON, September 19. "The Times's' correspondent at Paris says that the speeches of Mr Asquith and Lord Kitchener at the opening of Parliament have produced a most favorable impression. The stern resolution expressed to continue the war to the end despite sacrifices is regarded as a fresh augury of victory. The French opinion of the British achievement is crystallised in a remarkable article in ' Le Temps,' in which an ungrudging tribute is paid to Britain's magnificent effort in the first year of the war. The article says : "Lord Kitchener has accomplished an enormous work, unprecedented in history, with remarkable method and clearness of vision." Commeniing on conscription, 'Le Temps' says : "The hour has come when it is necessary to adopt a clear, categorical attitude to convince the country of what is necessary to be done for her own. salvation, and voluntary enrolments are only expedients."