RE-EXAMINATIONS FOR SERVICE

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 52, 24 November 1917, Page 8

RE-EXAMINATIONS FOR SERVICE

Sir,—On the 20th instant you published a warning to all those who bad been rejected for active service by. a medical board that they are liable to be called up for re-examination. Whon Parliament was in session the Hon. Sir James Allen stated that only I selected men of group C 2 were to be'Tβexaminod. Which statement is correct? The Minister of Defence did not tell Parliament that, he was .'going to put the class D into the class C 2 and reexflniino them. As soon as the membors got homo, the D men have received printed forms stating "Since you have been classed as C 2 by a medical board you are to parado for medical recxamination. . . ." Should they inquire why they have been re-classed without re-examination, they will recoivo the- following reply: "The notice sent you is in accordance with the instructions issued by the authority of the Director-General of Medical Services. ..." It seems to me, Mr. Editor, that politics Lave a demoralising Influence on men, and I am afraid the time will come when we shall be unable to get capable men to represent us in Parkamnt for fear of ruining their reputations.—l am, etc., REFORMER. ["When the Minister of Defence stated that selected men of the C 2 group, would be called up for re-examination, he, did not state that no other men would be re-examined. If a man is hopelessly unfit, owing to disease or disablement, he may be discharged from the Expeditionary Force Reserve, and this course has been taken in some cases. But as long as a man remains a member of the reserve he is liable to be called upon to render service. The reservists who have been declared unfit since the inception of the compulsory enlistment system are not discharged; they are on leave without pay. No general re-examination of D men has been undertaken, but the recruiting authorities are free to examine any balloted man in that group. If the man proves to be still unfit, ho will have suffered nothing worse than the loss of a few hours' time.' If he is fit, then the- State is entitled to his services.]