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3. Subject to the exceptions referred to in the preceding paragraph, it is intended that the case of every male Bri- tish subject between the specified ages shall be considered with a view to his enrolment. This applies to civil ser- vants as well as to the other members of the community, but in the case of civil servants the procedure will be different.

4. The force will be known as the General Military Service Force of Hongkong, and the members of it will be liable to service with His Majesty's Forces outside the Colony, and will be subject to the Army Act wherever serving. This liability to service will continue for the duration of the present war.

5. The first step in the procedure leading up to enrol- is a medical examination which is provideì for in clause 11 of the bill.

ment

6. The next step is an order, issued by the proper autho- rity, directing the British subject in question to appear before the tribunal. This tribunal, which will as far as possible be representative of the community and which will contain a commercial majority, will, subject to the appeal referred to below, be the sole judge as to whether the British subject in question should be enrolled or should be exempted. The grounds of exemption, which are stated in clause 5 (4), are based on those laid down in the Mili- tary Service Act, 1916, 5 and 6, Geo. 5, c. 104, s. 2 (1). It will be seen from this sub-clause and from clause 5 (5) that the only grounds on which an absolute exemption may he granted are :--

() the ground of Imperial interests ; and

()the ground of the essential interests of the

Colony,

Exemption on the ground of exceptional financial or busi- ness obligations or domestic position may not be granted for a longer period than three months in the first instance, or for a longer period than four months in all, including extensions, if any.

7. An appeal to the Governor in Council from the deci- sions of this tribunal is provided in accordance with the principle of the Military Service Acts that there should he an appeal from the first tribunal. The appeal may be against either eurohnent or exemption, and it may be male by the British subject in question, or by his employer (if any), or by the military authorities.

8. The cases of all civil servants between the specified ages will also be euquired into, but in their case the enquiry will be conducted by the Governor,

9. Enrolment Lists will eventually be published in the Gazette containing the names of all those British subjects who have been passed by the tribanal for enrolment and who have not successfully appealed against the decision of the tribunal. The lists will also contain the names of any civil servants passed for enrolment by the Governor. From the date of the publication of any such list in the Gazette the persons whose names appear in the list shall be deemed to have been enrolled in, and to belong to, the General Military Service Force of Hongkong,

10. The sittings of the tribunal will be held in public unless in any case a majority of the members of a tribunal see fit to hold the sitting in private, and the Governor in Council, when sitting on appeal from the tribanal, will also sit in public unless the Governor sees fit to hold the sit- ting in private. In other respects also, the procedure, both before the tribunal and before the Governor in Council, will be as the tribunal or the Governor in Council, as the case may be, shall direct.

28th May, 1918.

J. H. KEMP,

Attorney Gencral.