Outside Parliament the Government is working steadily towards the end
so often neglected, that of strengthening the Fighting Services. Mr. Childers' exhaustive speech of Monday night showed that he has consistently pursued his object of keeping a corps d'armee of 25,000 men constantly ready for service, so that in the event of a little war arising it could be despatched at short notice, without "dislocating" the regiments left at home. He has so far succeeded in this object that he has now eighteen battalions of infantry, three battalions of Guards, and the necessary proportion of cavalry and artillery, brought up to full war strength. In a few days the operation will be completed, and then we shall have one available army, small, it is true, but ready and complete. For large opera- tions, such as a great war would entail, the men of the Reserve must be called out ; but they already number 25,000 men, annually increased by 6,000, so that it would be possible to form a movable army of 71,000 men, with the dep6ts and Militia behind. Great attention is being paid to the age of recruits, and the Army in India and First Army Corps are being kept as free as possible of unseasoned men. These are not large results, as compared with those attained on the Con- tinent; but they are solid, have been attained without increase of expense, and until the system is radically remodelled, are all that can be hoped for. The Duke of Wellington would have thought himself very strong with an army of 25,000 always ready, and 71,000 who could be made ready in six weeks.
Previous page
