We sincerely hope that this statement may prove to be
well founded. There are a very large number of men in the country who have received a military training and who know how to use a rifle, but who at the moment belong to no military unit or organisation of any kind. As our readers know, we have preached in season and out of season ever since the war that these men should be at least registered and a skeleton organisation formed. If Mr. Haldane and the Army Council will at last take this matter, up and organise these men as a Reserve for the Territorial Army, they will do a great service to the cause of national defence. It must never be forgotten, however, that such a Reserve will be perfectly useless unless a sufficient number of rifles for arming them are kept in stock. At present—we say it with deep regret—no such store of rifles exists. Though our rulers know perfently well that if a great emergency arose we should have to improvise troops— that is, though in their hearts they are relying upon improvise. tion—they do not take the essential step of keeping a sufficient store of extra rifles in the country. It sounds like madness, but unfortunately it is true.
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