Infant Soldier's £1,000,000 Will.

Levin Daily Chronicle, 17 January 1918, Page 4

Infant Soldier's £1,000,000 Will.

PROBLEM RAISED BY SIR J. WERNHER'S SON. LONDON, Oct. 25. A case concerning the ultimate disposition of a fund of one million pounds bequeathed by the late Sir Julius Chas. Wernher, the Band multi-millionaire, and involving the important point whether any limitation is iiftposed on an infant soldier in the making of his will, came before Mr Justice Younger in the Chancery Division yesterday. Sir Julius left the income of the fund to his son, the late Lieut. Alexander Pigott Wernher, on his attaining 301 years of age, and gave him a general power of appointment over the fund. Lieut. Wernher, who was in the Welsh Guards, was only 19 years of age when he was killed in action on September 16, 1916. His will was admitted to probate; and the question was whether the power given by the Wills Act to an infant soldier on active military service to make a valid will extended to the exercise of a general power of appointment. In default of appointment, the fund fell into the residue of the estate of Sir Julius. Mr Ogden Lawrence, K.C., contended that the intention of the Act was that | if a man was old enough to fight and die for his country he was old enough to dispose of his property without reservation. He admitted, however, that he had been unable to find a single soldier 's will where the power of appointment had been exercised, and judgment was reserved.