The New Call-Up in Industry
Mr. Ernest Bevin's broadcast on Sunday shows that. the time has come, and the Government realises it, when our resources in nian-power are about to be strained to the utmost in the total effort demanded by war. While more and more men are required for the fighting services the war industries are still expanding and must be provided with more skilled men, more men semi-skilled, and more men or women, to release service-men for fighting duties or workers for specialised jobs. There is now•no big reserve of men available, and there- fore Mr. Bevin turns to women, and older men in unessential jobs, and to younger men of low medical grades. Among the younger women there is a large potential army of workers both for war-industry and for service in connexion with the fighting forces. The Government therefore is requiring com- Pulsory registration of men between the ages of 41 and 45, and of women aged 20 and 21. Registration will enable the Goverment to ascertain which among them are not already engagej in essential work and may therefore be advised to take up employment of national importance. Married women withoui very young children will not be excluded, and special arrangements are to be made for the care of children whose mothers take up work in the factories or elsewhere. It will be observed that Mr. Bevin applies compulsion only in respect of registration, not in regard to civil employment, or the employ went of women in any capacity. That will probably serve his purpose well enough. Certainly it is right to exhaust the 130,,sibilities of voluntary recruitment before taking sterner measures which may never be necessary.
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