§ SIR JOHN COLOMBI beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether he can state the date and terms of the. circular or order instructing officers in charge of recruiting districts to inquire into the characters of men before enlisting them.
§ MR. BRODRICKIf my hon. and gallant friend will refer to the recruiting regulations he will find that in the case of the Household Cavalry, Royal Engineers, Army Service Corps, Royal Army Medical Corps, and Army Ordnance Corps recruits must produce certificates of character. In the case of other corps the regulations lay down that "if a recruit presents the appearance of having served before and denies having done so, or if his antecedents are unknown or there is any doubt as to his antecedents, he should be required to give a reference to his former employer or other responsible person" and that "full inquiries as to the recruits' antecedents are to be made in every case where there is the slightest ground for suspicion."
§ MR. BECKETT (Yorkshire, N. R., Whitby)Is it not the fact that in a recent case when a recruiting officer made inquiries into the character of a recruit he was prohibited by some one at the War Office?
§ MR. BRODRICKI never heard of it.