LIABLE FOR WAR SERVICE

Press, Volume LXXVI, Issue 22908, 3 January 1940, Page 7

LIABLE FOR WAR SERVICE

2,000,000 MORE MEN IN BRITAIN

PROCLAMATION AFFECTING SIX AGE-GROUPS

(UNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION—COPYRIGHT.) (Received January 2, 7.5 p.m.) LONDON, January 1. The King has issued a proclamation under the National Service and Armed Forces Act,, making liable for military service nearly 2,000,000 men between the ages of 19 and 27, including those 19 years of age % who will not be called up until they are 20. . ; The speed of registration and calling up will depend on the requirements of the forces. The first batch is unlikely to be called up before March. The proclamation, as far as can be foreseen, covers the manpower requirements of the three services until the end of the year. , The total, registered as well as those now liable is between 2,500,000 and 2,750,000. The total already in the services and those .made liable is probably more than 3.500,000, excluding men from the Dominions. A British Official Wireless message says that the proclamation makes six age-groups liable for service. It brings in men of 19 years of age, men who attained 20 years of age since December 1, 1939, and men who on January 1, 194Q, had reached 23.: 24, 25, 26, or 27 years. The method adopted of making liable many groups at once is mainly dictated by administrative convenience. The men will ; be'called bn to register by age-groups, one group' at a time, starting with men aged 23; and those who have reached 20 since December 1, 1939, and those attaining that age during 1940 will be registered throughout the year. Although the group called up in October is not yet completely absorbed in the services, it is expected that both this group and that of December will be enlisted before the end of February, and that the whole of the new classes will be with the colours by 'the end of the present year. ‘ ■ Sir Thomas Phillips, Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Labour, said that arrangements were being made to enable -Australians: and Canadians drafted into British units to transfer if they wished to the Australian and Canadian contingents. Unemployed men who-had no prospect of work would he called up out of their turn if they desired, ,

THE, WESTERN FRONT

NUMEROUS ACTIONS BY PATROLS (Received January 2, 7 p.m.) - LONDON, January 1- ■ This morning's French, official communique said: “There was much activity during the night in spite of snow 'and cold. At many points on the, front, there were numerous actions and encounters between patrols, Artillery on both sides res peatedly intervened.” The evening communique said? “The - day on the whole was quiet. An enemy detachment attempted a paid on one of our posts west of the Vqsges. This wa§ repulsed,”

CANADIANS IN BRITAIN

FRENCH PART ;. ; IN CONVOY , LONDON, January I, The arrival of the new contingent of the Canadian force is the’ chief news of New Yearly-Day hi Britain, Correspondents record the heqrti= ne^ss 1 of the welcome accorded the troops and their fine bearing, . The disclosure by -the Dominions Secretary (Mr R, A, Eden) that the Canadians were convoyed across the Atlantic by the French Navy in vo 7 - operation with the British Nayy, has caused favourable comment, . “The Times” links this act of cp-. operation at sea with references to the graceful compliments and generously warm tributes to Britain eon-; tained in the speech of the head of the French Information Bureau, which was broadcast to Britain and the Dominions; It states; “French sqamen must have felt a peculiar gratification in helping to convoy across the ocean Dominion .troops on their way to fight side by side with French soldiers on the .Western. Front, and to the Canadians both English and. French speaking, the presence of French shins in the escorting fleet must have been a welcome symbol of British-French solidarity upon which rests the hope ©I victory and peaceful reconstruction when victory has been achieved.” .. , . : , , The new arrivals W ere welcomed on behalf of their comrades already Undergoing training here before going to France, by Major-tGeneral McNaughton, General Officer Commanding the First Division of th e Canadian Forces. -

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