We note that the Times in a leading article in
its issue of Thursday states that in the late war under ten per cent. of the Volunteers, " notwithstanding the offer of high pay to a large proportion, were found willing to undertake the oversea defence of the Empire." This is an absolute misstatement of the facts. The error was exposed in our columns eighteen months ago by Volunteer Field Officer," who, at our suggestion, compiled, in conjunc- tion with the commanding officers of Volunteer regiments and units throughout the country, a complete return of the Volunteers who offered themselves for service in South Africa. His return, which has never been successfully challenged by the War Office or by any other authority, showed that out of a total of 204,443 Volunteers on the rolls on November 1st, 1899, no less than 71,758 volunteered to go out to South Africa, or over thirty-five per cent. It is true that the offer of only a very small number of the men who thus volunteered for the front was accepted, but this does not alter the fact that, to the eternal credit of the Volunteers, the offer was made. It is true also that when later in the war it was made linown that more Volunteers would be accepted if they came
forward, the original magnificent response was not renewed, but that was hardly to be expected considering the somewhat cold and unsympathetic reception of the first offer, and con- sidering that the crisis of the war was past.
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