In response, the Defence Minister Colonel James Ralston decided to personally investigate reports of major shortages of infantry by visiting Northwest Europe and Italy. Upon his return to Ottawa, Ralston informed the Cabinet the situation was far worse than he had been led to believe with front-line infantry regiments so seriously short of manpower that wounded men were being pulled out of the hospitals to go back to the front lines without sufficient time to recover. The shortages of infantry were especially serious in the French-speaking regiments owing to a lack of volunteers. On 13 October 1944, Ralston telegraphed King from Europe: "I regret to say that conditions and prospects of which I have learned will I fear necessitate reassessment in light of the future particularly regarding infantry involving, I fear, grave responsibilities". King wrote in his diary that Ralston's cable was "an intimation that he was coming back with the intention of making proposals which may involve the whole question of conscription". King added that sending any conscripts overseas would be a "criminal thing" that would cause a civil war in Canada, and lead to the United States stepping in to annex Canada. On 19 October Ralston formally informed King of the need for more men in Europe and on 24 October, the matter was first discussed at the Cabinet where the defence minister stated: "I feel that there is no alternative but for me to recommend the extension of service of N.R.M.A. personnel overseas".