FINDING THE MEN.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume III, Issue 699, 8 May 1916, Page 7

FINDING THE MEN.

LORD DERBY’S POSITION. REPLY TO CRITICS, (Received May 8, 10.5 a.m.) LONDON, May 7. Lord Derby, speaking at Manchester in reply to critics, said that had he resigned in March the military authorities were not then prepared to say that compulsion was a military necessity. He had not been able to take this stand without the backing of their figures. RECRUITING CONTINUES. GROLP SYSTEM REOPENED. “Times" nml "Sydney Sun’’ Serriert. LONDON, May 5. The War Office announces that the group system has been reopened, and unattested married and single men who are exempted under the new Act can join their respective groups. A new group, called Group A, has been formed for youths born in 1898. GOVERNMENT’S ATTITUDE. NO INTERFERENCE WITH STRATEGY. LONDON, May 5. I Lord Curzon (Lord Privy Seal), I addressing the Primrose League, j said he wished to dispel the illusion 1 that the Government spent its time 1 modifying or rejecting the War Committee’s decisions. The latter had an absolutely free hand, and in 99 eases out of 100 its decisions were not even debated. Another illusion was that the Government ignored or overruled the advice of its military and naval advisers. The Government fully recognised that the strategy and the conduct of the war must be left to the Chief of the General Staff. A third illusion was that the members of the Government considered themselves indispensable. Neither collectively nor individually were they guilty of that mistake. All were ready to retire if Parliament’s confidence was withdrawn. The greatest contribution that Britain was making was not merely in putting men into the field, or producing munitions, or in the ships sailing the seas, but the unimpaired solidarity and stubborn tenacity of the nation as a whole. That inspired the confidence of her allies, and struck terror into the enemy. The rebellion in Ireland was one of our enemy’s many attempts to diminish the military strength of England. The revolt was a mad and squalid affair, and retribution would be swift and stern. He would not say that the present Government was the only one capable of retaining the unity of the nation, but it represented all parties of the State, and was therefore more likely to retain that unity than any' other formed for the time being. Whether the war was long or short, the Government and the country would go on to the end. He had heard many things discussed by Cabinet, but never peace. That word had been expunged from our vocabulary until victory was won.—(Applause.)