4 SEPTEMBER 1909, Page 3

A writer in Tuesday's Times signing himself " Squadron- Leader

" endorses the remarks of the Military Corre- spondent of the Times as to the helpless condition of the Territorial cavalry when mounted because they are given no weapon which they can use while on horseback. He notes also the lack of confidence which is bound to be brought about " by the men's knowledge of the fact that when mounted they are as defenceless as a flock of sheep." We desire to associate ourselves with these comments, and to express the very strong hope that the blunder of depriving the Yeomanry of the sword will soon be set right. It costs a great deal to provide a mounted man, and there- fore mounted men are scarce. When they are in existence and in the field we may be quite certain that, whether they are called Yeomanry, Cavalry, Mounted Infantry, Hussars, or Dragoons, they will in fact be used for all and every purpose for which a mounted man can be used. When occasion requires, they will be employed to charge other mounted men, to charge infantry, or to ride and storm a position weakly held by infantry —such a position as can be carried at a less loss by it en who can cross the short danger-zone at twenty or twenty-five miles an hour than by those who have to foot it in an infantry rush at, say, seven miles an hour. But for all these last purposes it is essential that the mounted man should have a weapon other than the weight of his horse or such an unwieldy horseback tool as a rifle with a bayonet at the end of it.