§ Mr. TOUCHEasked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether his attention has been called to the case of W. F. Climpson, late of the 2nd Devonshire Regiment and Imperial Yeomanry; is he aware that this man has done nearly eight years' service, including five years' service abroad; that he holds the Queen's South African medal and has received credentials as to exemplary personal character from officers under whom he served; that he re-enlisted in the 12th Lancers on 20th February, 1910, after being once refused on account of defective teeth, and three days later was discharged because he desired to have his teeth treated by a private dentist at his own expense rather than undergo the treatment at St. George's Barracks; and that he had his teeth attended to and, on again presenting himself for enlistment, was told by the doctor that he had lost weight and was refused on that ground; and will he consider the desira- 770W bility of allowing this man to enlist before September, when he would be disqualified by the age limit?
§ Colonel SEELYW. F. Climpson was re-examined on 7th July, and was rejected because he was nine pounds under weight, and because his teeth were defective. If he had been treated by the dentist attached to the recruiting depot when he presented himself for enlistment in February, in accordance with an understanding come to at the time, two molars could have been stopped, thus rendering him medically fit. The dentist to whom he preferred to go for treatment extracted the two molars and so rendered him medically unfit for service.