Speaking at Manchester on Tuesday, Lord Derby said that he
felt strongly for the married men, who were being called up much sooner than he had anticipated. At the same time, he would be casting a slur on the patriotism of these married men if he doubted that they would come forward readily. Without the married men there would be a shortage, and if we did not get the required number of men we might suffer a disaster -which would be fatal not only now but for all time. The very men who now criticized the Government for calling up married men would be the first to blame the Government if they hesi- tated to do it and there should be a disaster as a consequence. "I have done," said Lord Derby, "all that I possibly can to secure the early service of the single men. . . . I am acting as straight as I possibly can, and to the best of my ability living up to any pledge I have made." Only mean men require that assurance. The attacks on Lord Derby have been a painful episode for all decent people. Of course, Lord Derby is doing all that he can to act as a straight and honourable man because he is incapable of acting otherwise. People who talk as though he has broken a pledge because in wholly unparalleled circum- stances he cannot produce results with microscopic accuracy do not dishonour him—they dishonour themselves.
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