15 JANUARY 1916, Page 2

During the week enlistment under the group system by the

young unmarried men has been distinctly good. Unless however, there is a. greater enlightenment among the compellable men a considerable number of them will still have to be fetched. We wish that the Prime Minister, who stands largely in the position of pater patriae, would warn those of the younger men who are now failing to come- forward, and seem determined to wait for compulsion to be applied to them, that in doing so they are playing a very foolish part, and running the grave risk of having a brand of shame imposed upon them which may haunt them all their lives.