RECRUITING AND MUNITIONS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3214, 20 October 1915, Page 21

RECRUITING AND MUNITIONS.

LORD DERBY'S APPEAL. LONDON, October 15,

Lord Derby, in a letter to the Mayor of Leicester, says that, although a strong advocate of national service, he had done all he possibly could to make voluntary enlistment a success. He had pledged himself to make a greater attempt, and he appealed to all national service advocates to help him. If the voluntary system was to he successful, every man who in a conscript country would be taken compulsorily should offer his services voluntarily, and should ask himself the question : “Is the excuse I give for not joining such as would be effective in a country where conscription obtains?’’ LABOUR MEMBER OX CONSCRIPTION. LONDON, October 17. Mr J. H. Thomas, M.P., addressing the railwayman at Sheffield, said that a section of the newspapers persistently demanded conscription. The same section of the press had demanded first the head of Lord Kitchener, then Mr Asquith’s, and now Sir E. Grey’s. If the British foreign policy was a failure it was because neutrals had been led to believe that Britain was divided against herself. The workers must not allow their fathers, sons, and brothers to sacrifice their lives vainly to gratify the unscrupulous gang who were endeavouring to undermine national confidence. He had received a letter from Lord Derby, who said he was in favour of national service, but, with the cordial cooperation of all political parties, including the conscriptionists, he hoped to make a success of the new voluntary system. Mr Thomas added that if the State took the workman’s labour it took his only capital, and must take also the rich man’s wealth. AUSTRALIAN METAL WORKERS. MELBOURNE, October 18. It is hoped that the threatened strike of metal workers, which was to have commenced to-day, will be averted, as a conference has arranged to induce the Wages Board immediately to consider the wages involved. RECRUITING IN IRELAND. SPECIAL DEPARTMENT FORMED. LONDON, October 17. A recruiting conference at Dublin decided that Lord Wimborne should form a department for recruiting in Ireland, himself acting as director, with a chief organiser working in co-operation with the military authorities. In a letter Lord Kitchener paid a tribute to the bravery and gallantry of Irish soldiers. He said he was confident that Irishmen would not leave them without reinforcements, and intimated that Ireland had recruited 81,000 men. THE LOAN FROM AMERICA. LONDON, October 17. A French official message states that the Anglo-French loan from America has been definitely concluded, and the contract was signed on Saturday at New York by 61 heads of banks on behalf of 800 houses forming the syndicate of guarantors. A large crowd showed their sympathy with the Anglo-French mission when its members left the Morgan Bank. THE MURDERED NURSE. LONDON, October 17. Miss Cavell (principal of a nurses’ training home, -who was shot by the Germans on a charge of harbouring fugitive soldiers) was the daughter of the vicar of Swardeston. Her execution has sent a thrill of horror throughout the country. Details of the execution of Nurse Cavell state that a German firing party was awaiting the victim in a garden at Brussels. Miss Cavell was led in blindfolded, and faced the firing party, but her strength gave way, and she fell to the ground, when the officer drew a pistol and blew her brains out. The Belgian community describe the deed as the bloodiest outrage of the whole war. Miss Cavell and her staff worked hard tending the German wounded in the Royal Palace after the occupation of Brussels.