[TO THE EDITOR OP THE "SPECTATOR.") Sre,—I read Lord Cowper's
letter in the Spectator of May 19th with much interest, and with equal interest your reply thereto, in which I notice, with satisfaction, that you. stick to
your guns re the formation of rifle clubs. By all means let us encourage our younger men to join Volunteer corps and become trained soldiers, as well as good riflemen. I think, however, that Lord Cowper overlooks the existence of a large body of middle-aged men who might be able to spare time for rifle practice, who could not possibly attend evening drills. Such a body might be useless to a commander in the case of invasion as a constituent part of a movable column. For holding an entrenched camp, or a fortified port, however, such men would surely be useful if well-trained shots, and prove quite as formidable defenders of such positions as the greybeards in the Boer ranks have proved themselves to be in
the present war P—I am, Sir. ■kc., H. Malta/is. M.B.
Walton S.O., Norfolk.
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