Wales has responded magnificently to the call for recruits in the new Army. The fighting instinct is strong in the Welshman's heart though, owing to the influence Puritanism, it has been for generations directed away from military channels.
A righteous war for the present, in which Great Britain is fighting for the principle of nationality, for the sanctity of the law of nations, and for her own ---W--- Empire, was, however bound to make a strong appeal to the men of Wales ; and so it has proved , in past ages Welshmen have fought valiantly for Britain on Continental battlefields.
One third of the British Army at Crecy was Welsh and in later centuries Welsh soldiers have distinguished themselves in every campaign waged by the country. The Welsh Fusiliers and the Welsh Regiment have added their laurels in the present war.
In recruiting for this great war, Wales has done better than other part of the Kingdom. The number of men recruited in Wales for August 4 to January 9 exceeds 70,000. The figures are not quite complete, as they do not include recent statistics of recruiting from Llanelly and Brecon, and the Territorial Associations for Denbigh, Flint, Merioneth, and Montgomery.
Excluding these, the number of recruits from Wales up to January 9 was : —
For the new Army …. ..56, 32 7
For the Territorials … 13, 07 8
Total ..............................69, 405
Districts from which returns are incomplete will bring the total up to over 85,000, and recruiting is still going on briskly.
Wales has done better in proportion to population than England has done, and even better than Scotland. Taking the population of Wales (including the county of Monmouth) at 2,000,000, and Scotland's population at 5,000, 000, the number of Scottish recruits would on the Welsh basis be -,---, 000; and that of English recruits (assuming England to have a population of 35,000,000) would in ---W---
same proportion be 1,250,00.
The Welsh recruiting figures will be a joy to the heart of Lloyd George, who, lover of peace and was and still is, has done do much to rouse the martial spirit of countrymen I support of this war.
