§ EARL SPENCERMy Lords, I rise to ask the noble Earl the Under-Secretary of State for War a Question of which I have given him private notice relating to the Volunteer force. We have long time been anxious to know what His Majesty's Government were going to propose with regard to the Volunteers. I admit at once that the information upon which I base my Question is taken from newspaper this morning, but it seemed to bear evidence of authenticity, and, therefore, I thought it desirable, as this is very important matter that it should be cleared up at once. I, therefore, beg to ask the noble Earl whether a statement in the Daily Chronicle of July 4th is correct to the effect that, in future, in the Volunteer force a severe test of physical fitness is to be required; that an age limit of forty-five is fixed; that the commanding officer of each battalion is asked whether he thinks his command is in such a state as to justify disbandment or amalgamation; also whether instructions have recently been issued to officers commanding Volunteer baltalions to the above effect; and, if any such instructions have been issued, whether the noble Earl will present them to the House.
THE UNDER-SECRETARY OF STATE FOR WAR (The Earl of DONOUGHMORE)My Lords, I am very glad that the noble Earl should have taken such early action in putting this Question, because it gives me an opportunity of explaining to your Lordships and to the public what is obviously a very serious misconception. The foundation, I think, for this report is a certain action which we have taken, and which is as follows. We have asked for information from general officers commanding districts as to how many Volunteers in their commands are fit for active service in the field. The conditions are defined in the circular which has been sent out. I do not think it will be necessary for me to read those conditions, because, in 924 answer to a later part of the Question, I am prepared to place this letter on the Table; but we have asked, firstly, how many Volunteers in the commands are physically fit for active service in the field; and, secondly, how many of those are first-class shots. We believe that is information which the Volunteers will gladly provide us with. It is obviously information which we should have to ask for the minute war broke out, and we think it only right to try and get that information for ourselves in peace time, so that we may have it by us. It is obviously a very different thing from what the report in the paper states, that all units not fit for active service have been ordered to be eliminated from Volunteer battalions, that the test of physical fitness is to be equivalent to that possessed by men of nineteen, and that a new age limit of forty-five has been fixed. With regard to the age limit, I may mention that it is stated in this letter as one of the conditions of fitness for active service in the field, that a man should be below the age of forty-five, but that is a very different thing from imposing a limit of forty-five on all Volunteers throughout the country.
The noble Lord then asks whether the commanding officer of each battalion has to state whether he finds his command in such a state as to justify disbandment or amalgamation, and whether instructions have recently been issued to officers commanding Volunteer battalions to that effect. The Answer is that that question is asked in this letter to general officers commanding. It is a question we are obviously quite right in asking. The amalgamation of weak units in the Militia and Volunteer forces is not new. It very often leads to efficiency and economy, and we have simply asked for information on the point. We have not, as suggested in the report, taken action. The noble Earl also asks whether we can present any Papers to the House. This document is, of course, a confidential one—instructions issued in the ordinary course of business by the War Office—and one such as we issue very frequently in the administration of the Army. I am sure the noble Earl will agree with me that it may very often be undesirable that a document issued confidentially 925 should be laid on the Table of the House. I am not prepared to admit that there is any obligation on us to lay documents when we think it inexpedient to do so, but I am prepared on this occasion to meet the noble Earl's wishes, and I will see that the letter is circulated in the ordinary course.
§ EARL SPENCERI beg to thank the noble Earl for the Answer he has given me, and for consenting on this occasion to lay this document on the Table. It is satisfactory to know that the asking of these questions on the part of the War Office is not precursory to immediate action in the direction indicated. That is what the public were led to understand from the report in the newspaper to which I have referred. It would have been a very serious matter, and I need hardly say that if that had been the intention of His Majesty's Government it would have required strong action on the part of those who are interested in the Auxiliary Forces of the country. I do not wish to say any more at the present moment, but shall wait to see the Paper which the noble Earl has promised to present.
§ THE EARL OF DARTMOUTHI should like to ask, with regard to the question of physical fitness, whether the general officers commanding are to give their own opinion, or whether there is to be a medical examination.
THE EARL OF DONOUGHMOREI should say both. We have asked the officers for their opinion and we have asked them to obtain from the medical officers of the corps their opinion as well.