MILITARY AGE LIMITS

Southland Times, Issue 17732, 9 August 1917, Page 5

MILITARY AGE LIMITS

REDUCTION TO 19 OR IS HINTED. (Special to the Times.) WELLINGTON, August 8. It has been freely rumoured in the lobbies lately that the Government have a Bill on the stocks which provides that the military age for active service abroad shall be reduced from 20 to 19, or even IS years of age. This afternoon I asked Sir James Allen, Minister of Defence, whether the rumour was correct or not, but the Minister refused to make any statement. Fie neither affirmed nor denied the report. In the House to-day, Mr McCombs asked the Minister whether it was a fact that the Government, in order to try and avoid the cost of sending married men to the front, intended to postpone the calling up of the becond Division by conscripting boys of 18 or 19 years of age. ‘‘The hon. member will receive all the information when the Bill comes before the House,” replied Sir James Allen. The Prime Minister informed me this afternoon that a Bill is being prepared embodying various amendments to the Military Service Act. but he stated that it had not yet been dealt with by Cabinet. Fie refused to state whether or not there was any provision relating to the lowering of the military age limit.