JOINING THE COLOURS

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 216, 12 August 1937, Page 9

JOINING THE COLOURS

NEW FORM OF ENLISTMENT,

QUICK RESPONSE. RESULT OF NEW SCHEME. COUNTRY-WIDE REPLY.

(United Press Association.—By Electric a. Telegraph.—Copyright.) (British Official Wireless'.) • Received. August 12, 12.15 p.m. RUGBY, Aug. 11.

There lias been a quick response to the War Office announcement to allow serving soldiers to extend their service. Within a few hours the first enquiries were received at the Central London Recruiting Department, and tq-day many reservists called at recruiting offices throughout the country.

DETAILS OF SCHEME,

(British Official Wireless.) ’ RUGBY, Aug. 10.

New proposals for- the betterment of the conditions of service for soldiers in the Regular Army were announced by the War Office to-day. The proposals, which are of far-reaching importance in Army recruitment, are experimental and for a limited period. They allow serving soldiers about to complete their first term of colour service to extend their service and to allow Section A and 13 Reservists to rejoin the colours. Both classes of men will, on the completion of 12 .years’ service, be eligible to re-engage to complete 21 years’ service so as to qualify for pensions. At present the most common form of ehiistmnet is for seven years with the colours and five on the Reserve, it is only in exceptional circumstances that a private soldier is allowed to extend his colour service to qualify for a pension or that reservists are alowed to rejoin the colours. The experiment will show the extent to which the soldiers now serving with the colours or oil the Reserve desire tv. aiopt the Army as a career and will increase the number of enlisting soldiers. The Secretary for War (Mr L. Hore Belisha), in a broadcast talk this evening, explained that the experiment is for a limited period so that the response may show bow far the alteration of the terms of Army service on these lines meets the desire of those who take to the profession of soldierMr Hore Belisha said he was told that one of the chief anxieties of the serving soldier had been his inability to continue in the profession which he had mastered and liked. Under the new offer his mind would be set at rest. He would know the State would use his services normally till he had completed 21 years’ total service, generally at about 40 years of age. , Under the present system, a soldier is bound to leave the colours after a limited period, and although a good soldier he cannot find another job. The proposal was to give him a job in his own profession with a pension attached to it, and it would be a consolation to him to know that at the time of his discharge he would, while still in the prime qf hm life, have something coming in. In fact, the offer met the frequent assertion that the soldier ought to get more for his service, for under the new scheme the pension was in effect added to his pay. That would give greater confidence not only to the soldier himself but also to his family.