Mr. Akers-Douglas • in his reply stated that he thought that
" the acreage now offered for manoeuvres ought to be increased," though some portion of the Park should be reserved, and that he would confer with the Ranger on the subject. We have little doubt that he meant by this that the Park would be placed at the disposal of the London Volun- teers for field training—no doubt through the General com- manding the Home District—except for some reasonably sized portion which would be reserved as a heronry and sanctuary for wild life. Our only fear is that Mr. Akers-Douglas does not sufficiently distinguish between the claim to drill and to manoeuvre. He says that no great number of applications to use the Park have been made, but that is natural. People are always shy of making applications which they know will be peremptorily refused, as they always were in the past in the case of field-days. However, even if Mr. Akers-Douglas's mind is not clear as to the distinction Whitten drill-and training in field tactics, his announcement
entanglement of a Zollverein it will be a bad day for the that the Ranger is prepared. to extend the area in any reasonable way in which the military authorities of the die.
trict ma su t h uld lace all d ubts n thi i t t
y gges s o p o on s po n a
rest. The military authorities have always insisted that not drill but field training is what the Volunteers need. Hon. Members might rest assured, said Mr. Akers-Douglas in conclusion, that this question would be carefully considered, and he suggested that officers commanding Regulars and Volunteers should communicate with the Ranger.
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