31 JANUARY 1920, Page 3

Lot it be admitted that the safeguards are now so

drawn that a Territorial soldier need be under no apprehension that he would be required to leave his civil occupation unless there wore a groat emergency. Nevertheless he would always suffer from a suspicion that he might be the victim of a scare or of some restless and adventurous Secretary for War. If such a suspicion should operate, as we fear it would, a much less intelligent and stable class of men will be attracted to the Territorials. That will ho disastrous. Why not leave the conditions exactly as they were? Why introduce changes in form which mean no real changes in substance ? The proposals even in their latest form are a speculation. Without securing any service which cannot be relied upon now, they risk bringing about a deterior- ation of the Territorial Force. The Territorials will always rally to their country in a great emergency. Otherwise they would not bo Territorials. The groat thing is to recruit the best men.