It is greatly to be hoped that the lull in
the discussion of Mr. Haldane's Army Bill will be used by the Secretary of State for War and the friends of the Militia to reconsider the whole position, and to endeavour to find some form of compromise which may save that force from extinction, while at the same time not impairing the essentials of the Govern. ment scheme. That such a compromise can be found if there is a little goodwill on both sides we do not doubt. If the existing terms of Militia service are retained, plus an engage- ment for oversen service on embodiment and six months' preliminary training, terms which would give the' Militia a very special value, we do not see why the drafting difficulty should not be got rid of, partly by relying on drafts from the Volunteers, partly by raising a new Militia Reserve, and partly by increasing the numbers of each Militia battalion, and thus enabling it to supply a limited draft to its Regular regiment on mobilisation. We do not suggest that this is the ideal compromise, but we do say that one could be found on some such lines.
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