§ CAPTAIN PIRIE (Aberdeen N.)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for War whether the grounds can be stated or, which the General Officer Commanding 1052 North British District ruled that Private William Bain Greig, who offered himself for enlistment on the 12th May 1896 in the 2nd Gordon Highlanders at Maryhill Barracks at Glasgow, be held to serve, in view of the fact that Private Greig's birth certificate, testifying to his not being 18 years of age until the 18th March 1897, was in the possession of the Military authorities?
§ * THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE FOR WAR (Mr. BRODRICK,) Surrey, GuildfordUnder the Queen's Regulations power is vested in a General Officer Commanding to hold a recruit to his engagement if he has falsely declared himself to be over 18 years of age, provided he is physically equivalent to that age, and provided his age is actually over 17 years; Private William Bain Greig fulfilled these conditions; and the General Officer Commanding decided to hold him to serve. I should like to add, in order to remove what appears to be a very prevalent but erroneous impression, that there is nothing illegal in the enlistment of a recruit who is under 18 years of age.