The work of the tribunals under the Military Service Act
has been rendered rather indecisive during the week by the number of exemptions granted in advance to whole classes of workers. If the letter of the law of exemption were acted on, the tribunals would be able to save few recruits for the Army. Yet the tribunals cannot openly disregard their instruction. The usual way out of the difficulty has been to grant temporary exemptions. The experience of the tribunals in general is that among the poor remnant of youths who have not already enlisted the saying that " no one is indispensable" is profoundly disbelieved. Some of the claims have been entertaining in their impudence. New instructions are being sent to the tribunals. It has also been decided to call up Group, I.—men who had reached the ago of eighteen by August 15th, 1915. This group Of course contains some who are not yet nineteen. In our opinion, even younger men ought to be recruited. The period of training and a period of home service would carry them on to the proper age for foreign service. By that time the good food and healthy Se would have made finer men of them :than they are now likely to be. There is no question of inflicting hardship oa immature youths.
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