25 and 26. Earl WINTERTONasked the Secretary of State for War (1) if he will address a letter to the lord mayors and mayors of the principal boroughs of the country urging them to use their good offices to obtain recruits for all branches of His Majesty's Army;
(2) if he is aware that the late Lord Haldane, when Secretary of State for War, personally conducted a campaign in favour of recruiting for the Territorial Army, and addressed meetings to that end; and whether, in view of the shortage in recruiting for both the regular forces and the Territorial Army, he will address meetings in the principal centres of the country in support of recruiting?
§ 27. Mr. HACKINGasked the Secretary of State for War whether he will institute a recruiting campaign throughout the country and himself address the principal meetings, with a view to improving the intake of recruits into the Army?
§ Mr. SHAWThe problem of maintaining the strength of the Army is at present the subject of special examination, and, pending the result of this examination, I am unable to state what special steps to improve recruiting may be found necessary.
§ Mr. HACKINGWill the right hon. Gentleman answer my question, where I ask whether he is prepared to address public meetings in the country?
§ Mr. SHAWI think I have answered that by saying that, pending the result of the examination, I am unable to state what special steps to improve recruiting may be found necessary. That is one special step among others.
§ Mr. HACKINGSurely the right hon. Gentleman is the best judge of his own abilities.
Earl WINTERTONI wish to give the right hon. Gentleman notice that I. propose to raise the matter at the earliest opportunity convenient to him on the Adjournment, on which occasion I shall draw attention to the contemptuous manner which the right hon. Gentleman has adopted in connection with the matter.