"HONOUR TO WHOM HONOUR IS DUE."
ITO THE EDITOR or ran SPECTATOR.")
FIR,---I was very surprised to read in the last issue of the Spectator a letter headed as above, and signed by a correspondent who tells us he is a Colonel. He speaks of the inaccuracies of the Prime Minister, and more especially in regard to his statement as to the Territorials having come to the rescue of our country at a critical time. To my amazement, this Colonel states that the Territorials were practically shelved in the early stages of Cie war! My knowledge leads me to think quite otherwise. Who pmtected our coast, our docks, our railways, in the months of August, September, 1914, and onwards ? The Territorials. And with respect to the oversee work, has this Colonel heard of the Northumberland Hussars, the London Scottish, and Glasgow Highlanders, to name only three of the many Territorial regi- ments that went to France about October, 1914 P I also wonder if this Colonel has ever heard of the Second Battle of Ypres, where the Canadian Volunteers (composed largely of men born in the British Isles, many of whom had served in the ranks of Territorial regiments) put up such a good fight, and were sup- ported in that fight by the Northumberland and Durham Terri- torials, who had only left England a few days before. Let your correspondent refer to Lord French's speech made to the North- nmberlands in the last week of April, 1915. It may help to con- vince him that Mr. Lloyd George was not so inaccurate in his statement. It is far from my wish to detract from the work our Indian Army performed, but I do feel that many officers in the Regular Army have a nasty habit of belittling-the work of the Territorials, anti when you realise that the Territorials only signed on for home service, but when the cull came in August, 1914, volunteered, almost to a man, to go overseas, what must ho the feelings of parents who have lost their sons when they read such a letter as this correspondent of yours has thought fit to
send for publication ?--I am, Sir, Sc., N. F. lissussr. The Grange, .fl mouth, Northumberland.
Previous page
