Questioned in the House of Commons on the calling up of 60,000 men of the 1901 class in Italy, the Under Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Mr. R. A. Butler, said that the British Ambassador, Lord Perth, had been informed that this was purely an administrative measure, without any political significance.
Mr. Butler added that he understood that the 1901 class, which was the oldest class not engaged in the Great War, underwent its military training at a' time when conditions were abnormal, and it had been thought that some re-training of certain men of his class would be desirable. It was not unusual in Italy for men to be called up for training in this manner, said Mr.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.