§ Mr. WATTasked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether it is now the desire of his Department that where any doubt exists as to the fact that a man has presented himself for enlistment since 14th August, and has been rejected as medically unfit, the matter has to be tried in the Civil Courts?
§ Mr. TENNANTThe War Office does not desire unnecessarily to bring any man 1217W before the magistrates in connection with the Military Service Act. Where a man refuses to acknowledge his liability to military service, and where there is no reasonable evidence to show that he is either excepted or exempted from the provisions of that Act, the matter must, of course, be referred for trial by the Civil Courts.
§ Mr. WATTasked the Under-Secretary of State for War if he will state what redress he proposes to give to those men who had presented themselves for enlistment after 14th August last, had been rejected as medically unfit, but who had presented themselves again either by being ordered so to do or voluntarily in order to procure armlets and were, in point of fact, enlisted; and are these men to be discovered and discharged?
§ Mr. TENNANTI would refer my hon. Friend to the statement I made on this point on the 29th February, in answer to my hon. Friend the Member for North-West Lanarkshire. From this it should be apparent that men who have been rejected since 14th August, 1915, and who have been ordered to attest will have their attestation cancelled. Men who attested in order to secure an armlet will be considered to be part of the Army Reserve, and reliance will be placed upon their patriotism to give to the State in its time of need such service as they are capable of rendering.