Pending charges substantial enough for the League to be able
to answer them, we should like to point out that the best answer to Sir John French's endorsement of the grumblings of certain officers is to be found in the notorious fact that many of the most prominent members of the National Service League are actively engaged in furthering the interests of the Territorial Force, either by doing administrative work in Territorial Associations or by serving in the Force itself. We will take only one example out of hundreds. Sir Edmond Elles is one of the most active members of the National Service League, and is on the Executive of that body. This, however, does not prevent him from devoting in the most self- sacrificing way his time and his energies to the Chairmanship of the Surrey Territorial Association. Instead of Sir Edmond Blies working against the Territorial Force, he works as hard for it as any clerk in the War Office. Several of his colleagues are also active members of the National Service League. The matter clearly cannot rest here. If we may venture to advise the National Service -League our advice is that they should ask as a matter of justice that the Army Council shall request Sir John French to furnish them with evidence in support of the damaging charge made by him in a public document. We may add that Friday's paper contains a statement by Colonel Bird, the Secretary of the National Service League, denying Sir John French's charges. He notes that 600 members of county associations are members of the League, and he mentions that within the last twenty-four hours reports have been received at headquarters of two meetings of the League which resulted in thirty-seven recruits being secured for the Territorial force.
Previous page
