45
No. 1917
HONGKONG.
CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN THE MILITARY SERVICE COMMISSION AND HIS EXCELLENCY THE GOVERNOR.
Laid before the Legislative Council by Command of His Excellency the Governor, 25th May, 1917.
The Military Service Commission.
HONGKONG, 20th April, 1917.
SIR, We, the Commissioners appointed by Your Excellency, have the honour to submit a general report up to the present date concerning the enquiry upon which at your direction we have been engaged.
2. Under the terms of our appointment published in the Gazette of the 9th February last, we were instructed to enquire "whether and to what extent, having regard both to Imperial needs and to local conditions, it is practicable and expedient that male British subjects of military age, resident in the Colony, who wish to volunteer for active service with His Majesty's forces outside the Colony, should be allowed to leave for that purpose". And we were desired to report in particular our findings and recommendations. The scope of the enquiry was subsequently narrowed by the manifestly necessary exclusion of the Naval and Military Establishments; and later by the withdrawal from our purview of the Civil Establishment under circumstances which appear in our correspondence with you attached in Appendix A.
3. On the 9th February we published a notification inviting applications from men of military age; and in response one hundred and eighty-two candidates, exclusive of those in the employment of the Naval, Military and Civil Authorities, sent in their names as shewn in Appendix B. Of these, three afterwards withdrew their applications, two proved ineligible on account of age, and fifty-two were found to be physically unfit. the result therefore we have heard and considered the applications of the remaining one hundred and twenty-five men, and have reported to you from time to time our findings and recommendations in each of these cases individually.
4. The Commission was informed at the outset that the Military Authorities do not require for local defence, and would not detain, any man whom the Commission should find could otherwise be spared for active service outside the Colony.
5. The Commission first met on the 13th February, and held frequent sittings between that time and the 19th instant for the purpose of considering applications. All the members were present at every meeting, except the last two when a member was prevented from attending by illness. We found, in consequence of our investigation, that of the candidates before us forty-three could be spared; all of whom have, we under- stand, been informed by the Government that they are at liberty to leave the Colony for active service. Their names are given in Appendix C.
6. In almost every instance employers have undertaken to keep situations open, and in most cases have agreed to make some monetary grant by way of part salary or other- wise. So far as we are aware, no impediment or delay has been interposed by an employer to the departure of any of these forty-three men, except in one case which has been referred by letter to London. We desire to express our appreciation of the liberal attitude adopted by employers generally in the matter of releasing and making provision for their men. The Government has provided second class passages by mail to England, and has guaranteed the provision of return passages to the Colony.
His Excellency
Sir F. H. MAY, K.C.M.G.,
Governor of Hongkong.