20 JANUARY 1894, Page 2

Sir George Chesney delivered, on Tuesday, before the Junior Constitutional

Club, Piccadilly, an interesting address on "The Defence of the Empire." He maintained that Great Britain, which was exposed to attack over a long line of communications, required a Navy even more than equal to that of any two other Powers. He believed, how- ever, that the measures taken for the defence of the Southern Colonial ports were sufficient, and that the great maritime cities of India, such as Calcutta and Bombay, were, if possible, over-protected. Canada also, though probably in.. defensible, if seriously attacked by the United States, was impregnable as against any other Power. He maintained,. however, that the military force maintained at home was totally insufficient. We had about 110,000 regular troops, within the island, but we could not use more than 60,000 for a foreign expedition, and had inadequate reserves to be called out. He thought our system of reserves antiquated; but though he demanded attention to this matter, he did not indicate the direction which he thought reform should take,. It is a plan for rendering volunteers as certainly effective as soldiers, which the country, if it fully believed in war, would. now desire.