WAR MINISTER’S SCHEME

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXI, 11 September 1937, Page 9

WAR MINISTER’S SCHEME

WILL IT ACHIEVE OBJECT? (By Air Mail—From Our Own Correspondent] LONDON, 19th August. Uncertain economical and psychological factors make it a toss up whether Mr liore-Belisha's new Army scheme achieves its object, which is to replenish the Army’s gaunt cadres at a crisis when recruiting fiasco threatens even the maintenance of the vital Cardwell system on which foreign service obligations depend. A and B reservists are invited to rejoin with the option to ; extend service for a pensionable 21 iyears or more, which option is further j offered to serving soldiers. If the long!service option attracts fresh recruits in iadequate numbers, now that the Army I will cease to be a blind and short cul de sac, and become a life career, all will be well. A long-service Army i will be infinitely more efficient than a jshort-service one. It will cause the British Army once more to look like it used to do, arid not so much like a rather untidy boj's’ brigade. But unless the new recruits are attracted all IMr Hore-Belisha wiil have done is to I bolster up his weak cadres by proportionately depleting his Army reserves. 1-Ie cannot have his reserivists and call them up too.