Not only did he lay the plane for the Expeditionary
Force and improve our mobilization system beyond all knowledge, but his creation of the Territorial Force and of the Territorial Associations unquestionably doubled the value of the Auxiliary Forces. There is no comparison between our present Territorial organization and that of the old Volunteers. Again, though he made, as we believe, a great mistake is abolishing the Militia, he gave us the Special Reserve, which has done admirable work in supplying drafts to the Line battalions. He also deserves praise for not killing the National Reserve at birth, which was the first impulse of the War Office officials. By letting it live and allowing civilians to force it on the military authorities, so to say, at the point of the bayonet he can claim that he added some two hundred thousand trained men to the Army. The National Reserve, as far as we can ascertain, has sent some fifty thousand more men to the colours than the Army Reserve—no mean gift from the old soldiers to the nation.
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