[To THE EDITOR OF THE " SPECTATOR."] SIR,—Aa an old
Volunteer commissioned officer, I have read with much interest the correspondence in your recent issues on the above subject. May I be permitted to say that the differences of opinion disclosed therein may perhaps be recon- ciled? An Adjutant of Volunteers generally finds (at least • this is my experience) that his energies are numbed by the fact that he cannot make Volunteers do anything ; they have to be " requested " or " invited " to parade or to visit the rifle range; and if it does not suit them, or if it is a little too wet, or too sunny, or too windy, they simply do not turn up ; the Adjutant, however, has to be there. This, of course, is most discouraging to a keen man. On the other hand, when Volunteers submit themselves to discipline properly so called, as they did in such a splendid way in South Africa, they can be made to do things ; and what they did do, is it not written in the chronicles of the war? To my mind, therefore, the question rests on that one word " discipline " ; without this, it is probably true that seven-tenths of them in England and in India will not submit to orders sufficiently to satisfy the zeal of a good Adjutant, and are consequently more or less worth- less in the circumstances. Discipline, if it can be enforced, would soon alter the state of affairs : much to the advantage of the Force, and of the country at large.—I am, Sir, &c., OLD C. 0.
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