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Show ills 1 1 r nB llrHfl I r English Parliamentary Struggle Strug-gle Over Conscription Sharpest Sharp-est Fight Since War Began. DISCUSS DERBY REPORT Earl Explains Difficulties Met With By Many Men Will- inp- to Serve. London, Jan. 4, 1 p m. (Delayed) In the house of commons today the compulsory military service bill was taken up. It promises to bring on the sharpest parliamentary struggle since the war began. The Earl of Derby's report on his recruiting campaign, which began October 23 and ended December 11, explains why the cabinet found it necessary to bring forward a measure for compulsory enlistment of unmarried unmar-ried men. More than 2,500,000 men in England, Scotland and Wales enrolled enroll-ed themselves, but after those engaged engag-ed in indispensible industries and medically unfit have been winnowed out nbout 1,100,000 available to bear arms remain. But there are G50.000 unmarried men who failed to coma forward, and the government will now attempt to redeem Premier Asquith's pledge that the married men should not be called out as long as a considerable consid-erable fraction of unmarried men held back. Earl of Derby Explains. In his report, which is addressed to Earl Kitchener, secretary of state war the Earl of Derby says: "Many difficulties have been met with, but the chief difficulty has , been the unreliability of starring, as j distinguishing between those who i should and those who should not bej taken 'for the army. Instead of starring star-ring being an assistance, it has been a distinct hindrance to the canvass "More especially is this so In the rural and semi-rural areas, owing to the fact that it was known before registration day what branches of the agricultural industry would be starred with the result that many men who had no right to do so, claimed to come under these particular headings The sense of unfairness thus created and the inequallt' of treatment to farmers has been most detrimental In these areas. The farmer himself la not a starred man, but there are numerous num-erous cases of his sons and laborers being starred as cowmen, horsemen, etc., though in many instances, it is known they were not really so en-gagecL en-gagecL Must Investigate Starred Lists. "It is essential that the starred lists bo carefully investigated and in cases of misdescription the star removed and the man made available for military mili-tary service. This applies to starred men in all industries. "The issue duing the process of the canvass of lists of trade which were to be considered 'reserved occupations' occupa-tions' has also proven an obstacle. 1 recognize It was especial that such lists should bo Issued, but the factt. remain that men, other than those to whom the list applied as engaged in those trades, are expected to be treat-de treat-de treated in the same way as the starred men and have been deterred uuiii cumins luiwuru. Many Facing Difficulties. "Many men who would willingly serve find themselves barred from doing do-ing so by domestic, financial and business busi-ness obligations. This especially applies ap-plies to professional and commercial men who find difficulties in meeting such obligations as to the payment of rent, Insurance premiums, Interest on loans connected with their business and provision for their family due to the fact that their income Is entirely dependent upon their individual efforts ef-forts and ceases when they join colors, col-ors, separation and dependence allowances allow-ances being quite inadequate to meet these obligations. This applies not Jiily to married men, but also to single men in many cases." Unequal Treatment of Individuals. "Another obstacle to recruiting has been tho unequal treatment of individuals. individ-uals. Parents and relations, especially, especial-ly, cannot understand why their sons husbands or brothers should join while other young men hold back and secure lucrative employment at home Apart from the number of men who have actually been enlisted and attested at-tested to, are many who have promised promis-ed to enlist when 'so and so' has also promised to go. There may of course be a number of men who make this answer as an excuse, but that it is genuine In a very large number of cases and is accentuated by bad starring star-ring there is no reason to doubt "The canvass shows very distinctly that it is not want of courage that is keeping men back, nor is there the slightest sign but that the country as a whole is determined to support" the prime minister in his pledge made at the Guild Hall on November 9, 1914, (regarding the calling out of married men), as It was when the pledge was made. There Is an abundance. of evidence evi-dence of determination to see the war through to a sucessful conclusion. "(Signed), Derby." Derby's Supplementary Report. The foregoing is dated December 12. In a supplementary report made on ! ucmuci 6v me n;ari or Derby says: - "Large as are the figures, I am j afraid that on analysis they will not prove as satisfactory as I could have wished. Owing to the great rush of recruits it was impossible in many cases to have more than the most per-functory per-functory medical examination and the number of men who will be rejected when the various groups are called up and subjected to proper examination ; must be very large; the number of men actually unexamined, both starred star-red and unstarred, being 925,455." The Earl points out also that manv must be deducted as the sole support of dependent relatives. He savs ; two are 651.100 unstarred single men un acounted for, n nn' Thfftf,fbta,,n Unma"'ed Men. to redeem tho pledge it will not be possible to hold married men to their attestation unless and until the ser- : vices of single men have been obtain- l, edby other means, the present system r having failed to bring them to the . colors. ! "I have been at some pains to as- ; certain the feeling of the country and am convinced that not only must faith : be kept with married men In accord- ( anco with the prime minister's pladge, but more than that, In my opinion. ' some steps must be taken to replace as far as possible tho single men now started or engaged in reserved, occupations occupa-tions by older and married men, even If these men have to a certain extent 'I to be drawn from tho ranks of those I already serving. Especially does this r i apply to those who have joined these occupations sine the date of royal as- ; sent to the national registration act. This applies, though naturally In a : minor degree to munitions workers." i oo |