THE BRITISH ARMY

Southland Times, Issue 19501, 16 March 1925, Page 7

THE BRITISH ARMY

THIS YEAR’S ESTIMATES.

RECRUITING DIFFICULTIES,

(By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright.) (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.)

LONDON, March 13.

The Army Estimates for 1925-26 are £44,500,000, compared with £45,000,000 in 1924-25.

The establishment of the Regular Army is 160,000, compared with 161,000 last year,’ including 4000 Indian troops, employed by the Air Ministry in Iraq. The reduction is due to the administrative economies. There will be no reduction in the fighting units! There is a shortage of 2000 or 3000 in the strength of the British Army, excluding British troops in India which is approximately up to the establishment. The recruiting during the past 12 months has been disappointing. Only 30,000 recruits were obtained out of 34,000 required. The Army Reserve is 94,000, and the Territorial Army 140,000.

The War Office, in a memorandum accompanying the Estimates, draws attention to the fact that recruiting is disappointing. There were only 30,000 in 1924 to meet an annual loss of 34,000, and 60 per cent, of the applicants were rejected owing to medical and physical defects. The memorandum states that unemployment does not assist recruiting as it did before the. war, as apparently the unemployment dole is preferred to the Army’s full support and liberal pay.

The memorandum also attributes the lack of recruits to the war, causing an aversion to military life, the uncertainty of employment after completion of service, and also the attractions of emigration.