In this context we may note that in the Commons
on Thursday week Mr. Lloyd George said that there was no doubt that we had the man-power we required, but that the exemptions had been absurdly numerous. If he gave figures the House would be startled. France and Italy had exempted their hundreds of thousands, but we had exempted our millions. Without compulsion we should never have got enough men. As it was, he thought the existing legislation sufficient to give us what we needed when the exemptions were reduced. But if not, fresh legislation would be proposed. Speaking of the tanks, he said that the credit was due to Mr. D'Eyncourt (the Chief Naval Constrqotor), Sir Maurice Hankey, Mr. Churchill, Colonel Swinton and Colonel Stern.