§ Sir A. MARKHAMasked the Under-Secretary of State for War (1) whether he is aware that Private G. Jones, No. 18731, 11th Devonshire Regiment, sailed for France on 6th October on his fourteenth birthday; will he say what steps the Secretary of State for War proposes taking, if any, to prevent boys of thirteen years of age enlisting against the wishes of their parents; and (2) whether, seeing that the War Office have no knowledge that recruits under the prescribed age are being widely enlisted, he is aware that at the Mortlake Police Court, on 13th October, John Meakin (fifteen), Alexander Guntripp (sixteen), and William Haslewood (seventeen) were charged with being deserters from the 13th East Surrey Regiment; that these boys enlisted last July; that they deserted a few days ago, and were found playing in a field by a policeman; that Mr. J. Kelsall, deputy-chairman of the Surrey Quarter Sessions, before whom these boys were charged, described them as children and that no one in his senses could possibly have believed they were nineteen; and whether it is proposed to discharge these boys?
§ Mr. TENNANTI shall be happy to give my hon. Friend particulars of these two 1627W cases as soon as I have received the official report, which has been called for in each case. As my hon. Friend has announced to me his intention of asking two questions a day on cases of this sort, I will ask him to be so good as to give me a week's notice in each he will realise that they will throw a good deal of additional labour on the recruiting offices, especially at the present time when special efforts are being made to obtain a largely increased number of recruits.