The Report on Army Recruiting for 1901 was issued on
Tuesday. It has been spoken of as showing very unfavour- able results, but we cannot endorse such a verdict. On the contrary, it appears to us extraordinarily satisfactory that while 24,000 men were enlisted in such highly paid corps as the Yeomanry and South African Police, the infantry of the Line was still able without any offer of increased pay to get only 2,000 men less than the previous year. On the whole, the total number of men raised for war purposes during the year by the Recruiting Department was over 80,000. That is a very satisfactory result, considering that at the same time some 38,000 men joined the Militia and the home Yeomanry force was increased by nearly 10,000. Of course it is alleged that lads of very poor physique have been taken, but we believe that these complaints are largely exaggerated. What, however, is a crying absurdity is the fact that if a fine, big, heavy man is enlisted he is sent to the cavalry, whereas the small, light men are made into infantrymen. In fact, the War Office does exactly the opposite to what is done by the private em- ployer. He wisely insists on having small, light men to ride his horses, and boasts how light a burden they are when in the saddle. The finely developed men he chooses for footmen.
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