We have pointed out elsewhere what we deem to be
the matters in regard to which Mr. Brodrick's scheme is open to criticism. Shortly, we think that he should have improved the pay of the Regulars by making it possible to use truth- fully as a recruiting inducement the formula "a shilling a day and all found and well found " ; that he should have in- creased the Militia establishment; and that he should have founded a Home Defence Reserve out of the trained men who every year at present pass entirely out of the ken of the War Office when they leave the Army Reserve, give up the Militia or Yeomanry, or cease being Volunteers, but with whom the military authorities might easily keep in touch if they would give their minds to the problem. Again, we think Mr. Brodrick's scheme throws too great a strain on the Volunteers. He is asking them to do, not more than the average Volunteer would like to do, but more than he can do. But though we have dwelt at length upon what we regard as the defects in Mr. Brodrick's proposals, we must not be held to condemn his general scheme. Taken as a whole, we believe it marks great advance in the matter of military organisation. The right spirit is in his proposals, and in our opinion they show conclusively that we have got as the Parliamentary bead of our Army a statesman of real force and character.
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