THE POLICE AND NATIONAL DEFENCE.
rTO THE EDITOR OF TRH "SPECTATOR:]
SIR,—Your appeal to the nation to increase ,the numbers of the National Reserve must appeal to all who have the safety of the nation at heart. I am not in any way going to attempt to suggest anything touching on your admirable letter, but I would like, as an old soldier of seventy-four who has served in the army and police forty-five years, to draw attention to a point which I have never seen mentioned in any scheme of home defence. Some years ago I called the attention of the authorities to a body of men about seventy thousand strong, intelligent, well disciplined, and partly drilled, who never seem to have been thought of or provided for—I mean our police. My suggestion was that all these men should be taught to use a rifle by going through an annual course of musketry. I do not for a moment suggest that the police should be an armed force except when this country was invaded. There could be no difficulty about getting arms and appoint- ments, which could be stored at the headquarters of the command in which the police district is situated. As to shooting drill, most police forces have old soldiers who could undertake the target practice and use of firearms. Of late there has been constant alarm at the possibility of an invasion, but no steps have ever been suggested to prepare for it. I think I am corre3t in stating we are the only European nation whose police force is wholly civil. Now, before too late, their position and use should be clearly defined. During the late Boer war men with no discipline, but who could shoot, gave the British a wholesome lesson on rifle fire, and I contend that our 70,000 police, if properly trained, could make as good a defence as, if not better than, the Boers. And, in fact, if an invasion ever took place it would be better for all concerned if our police had rifles and revolvers. The truncheon, good enough in ordinary rioting, would be no use in stemming outrages, murder, and robbery which unfortunately accompany a war. A General Officer wrote me on the subject and said that the police would be required to mind their usual work. True—to some extent; but suppose an enemy were to land and obtain a
footing—a possible occupation of towns and cities might follow, which means a retirement had taken place, and the inhabitants terror-stricken fleeing for safety. I take it the police force would also have to follow ; they, if armed, would be most useful, for not only could they better enforce order and stay panic, but could take their stand behind earthworks or other defensive forts, and help keep back the invaders, which we all would do. The question of special constables to take the place of the police is a matter for consideration, but to ignore 70,000 strong men would be an error of judgment on the part of our military and other authorities. But surely all this should be arranged in peace time, and when and where mobilization would take place would be out and dry. How far any such arrangement would affect the present police force it is difficult to say, but they have all made a declaration to preserve the peace of our Sovereign Lord the King.—I am, Sir, &c., S. G. LEADBETTER.
[We have, like our correspondent, always wondered why the police force should not be included in all schemes for putting the country in a position to resist invasion. Further, all ex- policemen, as suggested by one of them below, should be eligible to join the National Reserve. This was proposed by Mr. Strachey in the original letter addressed by him to the Surrey newspapers in the autumn of 1907—the letter which ultimately led to the founding of the National Reserve in Surrey and then in the United Kingdom. So humble and obscure is often the beginning of great things! The Government, however, when they "regularized" the Surrey Reserve and adopted the scheme for the whole nation did not include ex-policemen, but only ex-members of the Royal Irish Constabulary.—En. Spectator.]
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