Typed letter signed to Mrs Malleson (Alfred, 1854-1925, K.G., High Commissioner for South Africa and Colonial Secretary, 1st Viscount)

agreeing with her that "the solution of the recruiting problem adopted by the Government in their half measure, which is no solution but will only lead to further delay, is much to be regretted. We have now got so far on the road to general compulsion that it remains incomprehensible to me, why we cannot go the whole way and have the thing put once for all on a fair and intelligible basis. However,I have said this over and over again and so far have not succeeded. We have got several steps nearer general compulsion and probably we shall ultimately get the whole of it by bits. That it should have taken so long, and be done in a manner so half-hearted and so thoroughly unsatisfactory, is of course deplorable...", 1 side 4to., 17 Great College Street, 26th April In January 1916 the Military Service Act was passed. This imposed conscription on all single men aged between 18 and 41, but exempted the medically unfit, clergymen, teachers and certain classes of industrial worker. Married men were exempt in the original Act, although this was changed in June 1916.