i
-2-
22
was considered, however, that the repeal of that Ordinance in December 1919, was within the spirit of section 11 of the Ordinance, although the technical conclusion of the present was had not yet been reached, and although the Treaty of Peace was signed only on the 28th June, 1919. There was a strong local feeling that compulsory service for local defence should be abolished before the end of the year.
4.
The Ordinance does not appear to come within the provisions of the above paragraphy in the Royal Instructions so far as it relates
to the repeal of the General Military Service Ordinance, 1918, because that Ordinance merely provided for enrolment for service outside the Colony, and no necessity for such enrolment now exists.
5.
}
It is apprehended that when the Ordinance became law those members of the Hongkong Defence Corps who were formerly members of the Hong- kong Volunteer Force or of the Hongkong Volunteer Reserve reverted Automatically to their former status and ranks in those bodies. It may be arguable that this result did not follow, but it was thought unnecessary to deal with the point in the Ordinance because it was recognised that the legislation relating to the volunteer forces of the Colony would require immediate revision. A bill has now been drafted to establish a single volunteer force in place of the former two vol- unteer bodies and that bill will shortly be introduced.
6.
Simultaneously with the coming into operation of the Ordinance, proclamations were issued cancelling the calling out of the Volunteer Corps for actual military service and cancelling the enrolment of the members of the Volunteer Reserve as members of the Volunteer force. These proclamations took effect as from and after the 31st December, 1919, and they finally put an end to the war status of the local forces. 77. In my opinion this is an Ordinance to which His Excellency the Governor may properly assent in the name of His Majesty and on His behalf.
1
Attorney General.