To the Editor of the "Norra-Crina Darty News."
Sir,—Great Britain is at the present time straining every endeavour to raise volunteers for service in the present war, and although Shanghai has sent some volunteers, the town could and should do more. There are young men in hundreds here who should respond to the call of the old country. It is a proposition not to be entertained for a moment that they cannot be spared. is one thig to grow rich under the British flag, but what is the stamp of man who cannot return a guid UN
589° pro quo when his country is in travail?
The one cry in Shanghai is that "'there's nothing doing," times are bad and business practically at a standstill. All the more reason that the younger men should pattiotically respond to Lord Kitchener's call for more men. I jo not refer to married men, but I certainly strenuously maintain that all unmarried men under forty-five years of age should at least register their names as being prepared to proceed on active service as called upon.
The death of Lord Roberts brings this matter into special prominence as "Bobs" was in his old age stumping the country, speaking in the House of Lords and out of it, calling upon and demanding from our nation, conscription. It may be urged that conscription is unnecessary in a land that rallies to the "call" when it comes, but it must be remembered that at the time of call the volunteer is an untrained unit.
I would personally urge firms to discharge their younger staff who have not endeavoured to get to the front. I would also commend the text of my last sentence to the Municipal Council. The police must be exempted, since they are always on active service, but the other departments would not suffer if they were depleted of come members of their staff. I look in vain through the list of departing volunteers for names I hoped to see there, Get a move on you younger men and do your duty to your country and be reputed a true Briton, else the stigma and reproach will attach to you of showing the "white feather!"
I am, ete., Shanghai, Nov. 18.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.