Someone recently suggested that as wars Kil off the young and the fit and endanger the perpetuation of the human race, in future wars, military procedure should be reversed jand ihe first armies should comprise older men whose loss biologically would not be so great It is a cold, scientife statement, but the question revolves about the age. What is middle Jage and when docs a man's' physical and mental abilities begin to decline? Not so many years ago the age was set at 40 and produced the slogan "Too old at forty," although economic considerations were largely responsible for this narrow assessment, Sit Malcolm Campbell established a new world's speed record for motor boats a few days ago at the lage of §3, and Captain Eyston established a motor car'record at the age of 41, but nobody would suggest that the faculties of these men were impaired if they emerged so successfully {trom such a severe trial, The British War JOfice has its own ideas, as it always has when comes to passing judgment on these questions. JO statement announces the formation of an JOmicers Emergency Reserve for men between 31 and 85 years of age who. possess technical. Jeeademic or other special qualifications but Jwho have had little or no. previous military experience. and the unit has been dubbed the Isceserve of the middle-aged." Thirty-one or in that vicinity can hardly be called middle-Jaged, although from a point of view of self-preservation it might be comforting to people fof that age that the War Office believes it is so and therefore relative retardation of active service might be based on it. Most people will consider this young, and few persons of that lage would be flattered to think that they are Jconsidered so carly in life to possess the dis abilities and infirmities which declining years inexorably inlet, The reserve idea sounds in-{teresting for it ranges from engineers to dentists, magistrates, customs officers, linguists and those possessing intimate knowledge of the British Empire or foreign countries, One ominfous note is struck. The list also includes coroners, but further digression is unnecessary.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.