The Irish standard., 1918-06-29
IRISH HERE EXEMPT
IN new DRAFT PACT
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<O~AS~AAS~SNA
laws and regulations of Great Britain
or the United States, respectively;
provided, further, that in the event of
compulsory military service being ap-
Piled to any part of His Majesty's do
minions in which military service at
present is not compulsory British
subjects who before proceeding to the
United States were ordinarily resi-
dent in such part of His Majesty's do
minions shall thereupon be included
within the terms of this convention"
Notes Exchanged.
Following are the notes exchanged
between Secretary Lansing and AM
bassador Reading which determined
the application of the American age
limits to American citizens subject
to draft in Great Britain and Canada.
Readings note;
with reference to the military SER
vice convention between the United
States and Great Britain, signed to-
day, l am instructed by His Majesty's
government to explain why the pro-
viso to article one does not limit the
military service of citizens of the
United States in Great Britain to those
of the ages specified in the laws of the
United States.
The reason for the omission of
this clause in the proviso is a desire
to avoid the delay that would be in
volved in modifying the military SER
vice acts of 1916 to 1918 which con-
troll the operation of any convention
of this character. l beg you, there
fore, to be good enough not to press
this proposal.
The effect of these acts is to make
United States citizens in Great Britain
under this convention liable to mill
tary service between the ages of IS
and 49 inclusive. The limitation of
the ages of United States citizens in
Great Britain for the purpose of mill
tary service to those prescribed in the
laws Of the United States may, how
ever be attained without amendment
of these acts by exercise by the Unit
ed States of it's rights of exemption
under article three.
'His Majesty's government under
stand, therefore, that the United
States government will exercise their
right to exempt from compulsory SER
vice all citizens of the United States
in Great Britain outside the ages spec
flied in the laws of the United States
prescribing compulsory military SER
vice."
Lansing's Reply.
To which Lansing replied in part:
II have the honor to inform your
excellency that the government Of the
United States is pleased to accept this
explanation Of article one, and in lieu
of a clause in this article limiting the
military service of citizens of the
United States in Great Britain to
those of the ages specified in the laws
of the United States prescribing mill
tary service to exercise it's rights un-
der article three to exempt all citizens
of the United States in Great Britain
outside of the ages specified in the
laws Of the United States"
Article three of the treaty, upon
which hinges the question of exemp-
ton rights, follows:
"The government of the United
States and His Britannia Majesty's
government may, through their re-
spective diplomatic representatives,
issue certificates of exemption from
military service to citizens of the
United States in Great Britain and
British subjects in the United States
respectively.
"Such certificates may be special
or general, temporary or conditional,
and may be modified, renewed or re-
voked in the discretion of the govern
ment granting them"