Release from the Services
Demobilisation of men and women from the Army, Navy and Air Force began last Monday, and from now on a steady stream of persons from the Services will pass into civilian life. It is the resolve of the authorities to adhere as closely as possible to the rules of discharge which were laid down by Mr. Bevin, governed mainly by age and length of service, and to limit the number of exceptions severely. It will be essential to release considerable numbers of miners and men skilled in the building trades, for coal and houses are necessary to existence; but even these men will be selected from among those qualified in their appropriate order. The experience of the last war has shown the heart-burnings that may be caused by any unfairness or even appearance of unfairness in the order of release among those condemned to continue their service. It is hoped that about 750,000 men and women will be released from the Army before the end of the year, and in the course of the next twelve months the strength of the R.A.F. and the W.A.A.F. will be reduced by. about one-third. There will thus be a very considerable switch-over from military to civilian work, with a corresponding diminution of military production and expenditure, followed in due course by an increase of civilian production and consumption. But the change that IS taking place is a very different thing from general demobilisation. Not only will the number retained in the Services still be greater than the number of those released, but there will also be a continuous intake of new recruits. We are still engaged in a major war which will require the services of millions of men and women, and behind them an army of civilians still engaged in war production.
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