THE HEALTH OF THE MILITIA [To the Editor of THE
SPECTATOR] SIR,—Major Reynolds, in referring last week to my letter on this subject in your issue of July 7th, remarks : " . . the evidence of one's eyes, no less than the figures, brings home the immense improvement that has taken place, thanks to the advance in our social services. I still think there are grounds for legitimate satisfaction." I, on the other hand, am still of the opinion that we should withhold judgement as to the positive value of the examination results. I am strengthened in this view by additional evidence I have received since the publication of my letter and article in The Spectator. For the benefit of your correspondents who have shown such a keen appreciation of the importance of the question I condense this evidence under the following points, namely : (I) There is no specified minimum of height, weight and chest measurement in the instructions issued to the Medical Boards. Some of the men with defects of feet or vision who have been placed in Grade 2 (a) of the Militia would be rejected for the Regular Army.
(2) The Militia Regulations issued on July 16th provide for a further medical inspection when the conscript joins his training camp.
(3) In the event of any militiamen wishing to transfer to the Regular Army on completion of their service, the Govern- ment will require another medical examination.
(4) The Government are unable to state the number of men, and the regions from which they are drawn, who, although rejected from the Regular Army on medical and/or physical grounds, have now been passed under Grades r and 2 of the Militia.
(5) In a debate in the House of Lords on July nth the Bishop of Winchester initiated a discussion on malnutrition and quoted the statistics I have analysed. Earl De La Warr, the President of the Board of Education, on replying, stated : " I agree with noble lords who said that we should beware of reading too much into the figures with regard to accept- ance for the Militia. Undoubtedly, all these questions are matters of standards, and the standards vary as between this particular standard for acceptance and that required for acceptance into the Regular Army."
One could infer from this reply that Earl De La Warr, for one, has passed that " first fine careless rapture " which Mr. Ernest Brown, Mr. Hore-Belisha, and other members of the Government exhibited when first announcing the results.
Finally, let me remind your correspondents that all the young men who are being conscripted this year were con- ceived before November nth, 1918. Then, their parents little dreamt that politicians would attempt to make capital out of their sons' medical examination for military training twenty years after the War to End War.—Yours faithfully, RICHARD M. TITMUSS. 82 St. George's Road, Westminster, S.W. r.
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