CO129-443 - Governor Sir May - 1917 [7-9] — Page 462

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Every person called up for military service under the Ordi- nance will, under section 3, upon service of the notice calling him up, become ipso facto a member of the Hongkong Defence Corps which is established by the Ordinance, and, subject to any regu- lations made by the Governor in Council, will become and remain subject to the Army Act.

Power is given to the Governor in Counoil in section 4 to exempt any person from military service on the ground of physical unfitness or for any other reason. Any person so exempted may be called up later for service in the discretion of the Governor in Council.

Power is taken in section 5 to accept for military service male British subjects who would otherwise be exempted from such service on account of their age or for any other reason. Persons ao accepted will be required to take the oath or declaration

of allegiance and to sign an enrolment form, and they will there- upon become members of the Hongkong Defence Corps, and will remain members until discharged or dismissed or exempted by the Governor in Council, and, as such will, subject to any regula- tions made by the Governorin Council, become and remain subject to the Army Act.

Section 6 enacts that, subject to any regulations made by the Governor in Council, the Army Act shall apply to all the members of the Hongkong Defence Corps, provided that no sentence of a court martial upon a member of the Corps shall be carried

into execution unless confirmed by the Governor. This is in

accordance with the position contemplated by the Volunteer Ordi-

nance, 1893, for the war stage, and it is in harmony with sec- tions 175 (12), 176 (11) and 177 of the Army Act itself,