Page 24 - WW1 - 1914

Remembering Redditch Residents & WW1 Redditch Local History Society

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Birmingham Gazette – Monday 14 September 1914

Right Kind of Soldier - Volunteers better than Kaiser’s conscripts - An enthusiastic
meeting was held at Redditch on Saturday, under the auspices of the Parliamentary
Recruiting Committee of East Worcestershire, addresses being delivered by Mr Wilfred Hill,
prospective Liberal candidate for the division and Mr Leverton Harris M.P.
Mr Hill spoke upon the question of Free Trade and Protection but from an entirely different
standpoint to the speech he made on those topics a few weeks ago at the same place. In
spite of the war they had the splendid freedom of trade, he said, which had been brought
about by the efficiency of the Navy – one of the present wonders of the world.

The question of protection was now more serious. It was for the protection of their homes,
their liberty and their interests that Mr Harris and he were there that night in the capacity of
recruiting officers. Everybody would gladly admit that recruiting officers were preferable to
press gangs, and a voluntary army, impelled by the sense of necessity and animated by a real
sense of patriotism was preferable to an army consisting of “swelled-head” officers and
Kaiser-ridden conscripts.

War in any degree was a terrible reality, but war on the present gigantic scale was appalling.
The waste of human life was without parallel and material loss immeasurable. It seemed
inconceivable that war on such a gigantic scale could be prolonged. As to the ultimate
result, however, there could be no doubt, for the whole Empire had risen at the Motherland’s
call.

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