A MILITARY PUZZLE

Southland Times, Issue 20641, 13 November 1928, Page 3

A MILITARY PUZZLE

“BONA-FIDE SCOTSMEN.” SEARCH FOR INTBRPREfTATION. What constitutes a bona-fide Scotsman? The question has arisen in consequence of the telegram sent by the War Office authorities to the Aidershot Command, stating that until further notice only bona-fide Scotsmen are to be recruited in the Scots Guards. In military circles the definition of a bona-fide Scotsman for recruiting purposes was found to be difficult, and more than once when the point was raised refuge was sought in the answer, “It is a legal question.” In order to ascertain how the new order would be interpreted at a recruiting station, the inquiry,” What constitutes a bona-fide Scotsman?” was made at the Central London Recruiting Depot, Whitehall. An officer there immediately replied “A man born of Scottish parents is a bona-fide Scotsman, no matter where he was born.” The question was then asked whether this test would be applied to recruits for the Scots Guards and a man, if one of his parents were Scottish and the other English, be refused for the regiment. The officer was unable to give an immediate decision on this point. An application in a case such as that referred to would, he said, not be refused, but it would be deferred for inquiry. A solution of the problem created by the new order was next sought at the regimental headquarters of the Scots Guards. But even there it did not appear that the question which had arisen could be easily answered. No written description of what constitutes a bona-fide Scotsman seemed to be available. Captain Dudley Woollan, the regimental adjutant, gave his view on the subject, which was as follows: —“For recruiting purposes a bona-fide Scotsman would be a man who was born in Scotland, or a man born anywhere, whose father was a Scotsman.” Captain Woollan added that a similar order had been in force before and no doubtful cases had occurred.