We note with satisfaction that Lord Kitchener has altered the
age to thirty-five. He had much better, however, have altered it to forty-five, which is now the age limit for ex-soldiers. At the other end of the scale he should, we think, have lowered it to seventeen, for that would bring in a very large number of lads who have not yet got any job to do, and at this moment are hanging about the streets in thousands. Of course in their case the doctors must be specially vigilant in the matter of medical examination. If, however, the doctor will testify to a boy of seventeen being fit, he may prove just as good a soldier as one of nineteen. To put it in another way, we would leave the question of age to the doctors. They must be told not to give us immature lads or used-up middle-aged men. If these conditions are met, however, there is little reason to bother about birth certificates.
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