No doubt the German proceedings in Belgium have done much to
accelerate this conviction; and the mercilessness and savagery of
the methods by which the war has been fought by them (and for which
no vestige of an apology has been forthcoming) have taught men that
here is not only an enemy to be beaten but an evil spirit to be
driven out.
The response to the appeal for recruits has, on the whole, been
wonderful and inspiriting. Employers of labor, whether on a large
or a small scale, have, as a rule, behaved with generosity both as
regards releasing their employees and in making provision for them
and their families. A good example has been set by families and
persons in leading positions. Domestic servants have come forward
in great numbers. The working class population have awakened more
slowly--as was inevitable until the nature of the war and the
urgency of the call were brought clearly home to them--but are now
responding with alacrity. The brave deeds of their countrymen in
France have proved the surest stimulus, and disaster, as, for
instance, that reported to the Gordon Highlanders, at once raised
the tide of recruits.
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