The Bill for general compulsion was introduced into the House
of Commons by the Prime Minister on Wednesday. Its provisions are briefly as follows. Liability to compulsory enlistment is imposed on every male subject in Great Britain, married or single, between tale ages of eighteen and forty-one. Time-expired men will be retained with the colours or recalled if they are under forty-one. The Army Council have power to review medical certificates of rejection given since August, 1915. A Special Reserve is to be erected to enable certain men to be employed in civil life unless and until caliod to the colours. Territorials may henceforth be trans- ferred to Regular units. The debate which followed showed that there will be no difficulty whatever in passing the Bill through the House. Its most noticeable feature was the fact that Colonel Craig, the well-known Ulster Member, appealed to the Government to obtain the consent of the Nationalists to bring Ireland within the scope of the Bill. Mr. Walter Long described the suggestion as valuable, but could not at the moment give a definite reply.
Previous page
