§ MR. ASHLEYI beg to ask the Secretary of State for War if he will permit men who have served their time in the Regular Army and in the Reserve to enlist in the Special Reserve for a period of less than six years, such enlistment to terminate on their attaining the age of thirty-six.
§ MR. HALDANEThis proposal would involve the adoption of a system of enlistment, the period for which would depend on the age of a man and not on a defined length of service. The proposal has been carefully considered, but it is not found expedient to adopt it.
§ MR. ASHLEYMay I ask the right hon. Gentleman if he deliberately proposes to throw away the services of thousands of men who have served seven years, and if he prefers men with six months training.
§ MR. HALDANEWhat we are endeavouring to get in the Special Reserve is young men fit for service; we do not want old men.
§ MR. ASHLEYDoes the right hon. Gentleman deny that a man between the ages of thirty and thirty-six is fit to take the field?
§ MR. HALDANEAfter the age of thirty a man gets yearly less fit to take the field.
§ MR. ASHLEYWhy is a man between twenty-nine and thirty considered more fit?
§ MR. HALDANEA line must be drawn somewhere.
§ MR. JAMES HOPE (Sheffield, Central)Can the right hon. Gentleman tell the House the average age of the Old Guard of Napoleon in 1815?
§ MR. SWIFT MACNEILL (Donegal, S.)Will the right hon. Gentleman call in a few amateur generals to assist him?
§ [No Answer was returned.]