TOPICS OF THE DAY
MORE MEN.
T"question how to obtain more men for our armies is becoming urgent. Compulsory service has given us a great many men, but owing to the wide extension of the policy of exemptions, and especially of the policy of exempting certain trades wholly, we are not developing sufficient man- power. Thus, though there is no occasion to be despondent in the matter or to take panic measures, it is obvious that the problem has got to be faced, and faced at once, very seriously. As for the need of men being real and not a mere scare cry, we have only to quote the admirable words of that great soldier, Sir William Robertson, Chief of the Imperial General Staff, a man of arms whom we may without flattery describe as a statesman-soldier. In a speech at Dalderbys, in Lincoln- shire, on Wednesday, he told his hearers that we had adopted the principle of National Service in theory, and we must see to it that we put that principle into practice. " We want men, more men. We want them now, and in due course we shall want all men who can be spared." He went on to point out the difficulties of the problem, but declared that this was a matter for the Government to adjust. " Speaking from per- sonal knowledge, I say that it is always receiving constant and most careful attention from the Government." Sir William Robertson ended his speech by urging all concerned to see to it that the Army does not fall short of the men it needs. " I have stated the case, and leave it in your hands." That was wisely and sanely said. We dare not rest upon our laurels or upon our efforts up to now. We must get more men for the front, and more effort, therefore, out of the men and women who remain at home.
It is essential to consider the ways and means of carrying out this principle. In the first place, we have got to ask whether in the Army itself we are making the best use of the man-power which we possess. In other words, have the authorities " combed out " of the Army, considered as a whole, as many men for the fighting line as they could " comb out " if they set their minds to it ? In agglomerations of men so huge as the British Army now is there is always danger of even large groups being accidentally neglected, and remaining doing nothing, or comparatively little, because of want of method, or because of some fault in the original design or architectural structure of the organization. To take an example. It has been stated, though we do not know with what truth, that on the French railway system at the beginning of the war it was found that by an accident some hundreds of locomotive engines had been put aside for a special purpose and then forgotten. It was only through a keen-eyed official noticing this huge park as he passed in a train that the engines were put to their proper use. It is, we think, quite probable that, if a vigilant eye were cast over the men in France, the men in the United Kingdom, the men throughout the Empire, and the men required for the various non-European fighting fronts, we might find unexpected reserves analogous to those side-tracked engines. We are well aware that in a modern army; no matter how perfect the system is, the number of men with rifles in their hands who come into physical contact with the enemy seems lamentably small compared with the vast numbers of nominal combatants who are required to bring them into action. The man in the trench, the actual fighting man, is like the point of a tapering spear. There is and has to be a great deal of metal behind him which will never touch the enemy's flesh. It is, however, of the utmost importance to see that the proportion of men behind the lines—the non- fighting combatants, to use a Hibernianism—is not, owing to faulty organization, too large. We do not assert that it is so in the present case, and we have no doubt at all that the matter is always receiving the anxious attention of the military authorities. ' Still, we cannot help thinking that there are possibilities yet unexplored for combing out " in the Army itself. Suppose that at present it takes three men behind the lines to put one man into the trench, and that by careful arrangement it is found that two and a half men are really sufficient for this purpose. That may mean, in the last re- sort, the release of enough men to form three or four army corps. When the numbers are as huge as they are now that saving of half a man per actual fighter might prove of the utmost moment.
The next, and this of course we admit is by far the most important, item in our list of expedients for raising men is the " combing out " that can be done at home. Here we need only refer to the drastic Report just issued by the Man- Power Distribution Board. The Board, though reserving for further consideration the question of agricultural labour and of certified occupations, issue certain specific directions in regard to the issue of badge certificates and for the prevention of slackness on the part of the Tribunals. They desire, they say, to impress upon the Tribunals the necessity for the most careful consideration in every case before exemption is granted, The Tribunals must avoid extending temporary exemptions, which now amount to nearly four hundred thousand, and they must expedite the settlement of outstanding applications and the hearing of appeals. of which two hundred thousand are pending. The Board also impress upon all employers and upon Trade Unions the necessity for carrying further the process of the dilution of labour. The Board end by saying that they have under consideration further steps for the releasing of young men, and for the extended use of women and of men over military age both in private and in Government employ- ment. That a very large number of men may be " combed out " by these' means we do not doubt. And here we should like to say that we are not at all disposed to assert that any great harm has been done by the fact that the process of combing out " has been gradnal. It was everything to avoid a sudden dislocation of industry, and such dislocation has been largely prevented by our graduated call on our man- power.
After we have " combed out " the Army and rigidly " combed out " the civilian workers at home, and especially in such exempted trades as agriculture, it will no doubt be necessary to consider the problem of the great exempted area of Ireland. Are we or are we not to apply compulsory service to Ireland ? The difficulties, we admit, are very great. Personally, we dis- like the idea of seeing the privilege—for such it is—of defending the Empire accorded to men who have disgraced themselves as did the Simi Feiners and the disloyal population of Ireland in the recent revolt. At the same time, it does seem a gross injustice that the Irish people should not bear their 'share of the common burden. They will share to the full the advantage of our victory. Why should they not help to win the battle in the same proportion as Scotsmen, Englishmen, and Welsh- men ? If they could elect to stand out of all the benefits and glories of Empire it might be another matter, but that of course is impossible. It always remains conceivable, also, that in the topsy-turvy world of Ireland compulsory service might in the end turn out a blessing in disguise.
There remains the increasing of our man-power by raising the military age to forty-five. This is the simplest way of increasing the numbers of our soldiers, and clearly it must be kept in reserve and the possibility of its use carefully pre- pared for. At the same time, it is obvious that the ill effect upon our industries would be very great. By the applica- tion of the principle that the military aae is between eighteen and forty-one; things have adjusted themselves in thousands of occupations all over the country to this con- dition. But though as at present advised we are averse from altering the present standard for oversea service, we strongly desire to adopt the principle of compulsory service for every man in the country, whatever his age, unless physically unfit. We would make it obligatory on every man between forty-five and sixty, or even sixty-five, to enter and make himself efficient in a Volunteer Corks. By this means 'we should obtain a double advantage. The men between forty and forty-five would automatically get a military training as soldiers, and, if this lasted six months, it would make their employment as soldiers, if the necessity arose, very much easier than now. Next, our Volunteer Army would become so large that it might be possible for every corps, through a rota system, to furnish a standing active battalion in which every man should do con- tinuous service for at least one fortnight in the year. These active battalions might very well undertake the whole of the guard duties throughout the United Kingdom. There are very few men in this country even now who do not get a fortnight's holiday in the year, even in war time, and there is no reason why that fortnight should not be spent under arms, subject, of course, to the necessary qualification, in the case of the older men, of their being physically able to shoulder a rifle.
Whatever system we may have to adopt in the end if the war lasts longer than we now hope, we shall find it easier and more profitable to resort to it if every male in the country is required at once to do some military service for the nation. When the pinch comes every man will be already trained in the rudiments of that service. Let us prepare a reservoir from which, if the worst comes to the worst, we can draw 'freely.
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