Meanwhile, even at the risk of injuring recruiting, we are
bound in the interests of truth to point out that every week that passes makes it more and more certain that if the raiders come they will get a good deal more than they bargain for. It would be difficult to state without what would seem like the extremity of exaggeration how much better we are prepared to meet a raid now than we were at the end of August. Not only have we some six times more men avail- able, but most of them are at least six times better prepared. Again, there is no sort of comparison between the volume of equipment of all sorts available now and that available three months ago. No doubt our preparations are still not abso- lutely complete, but we venture to say with full assurance that the danger of our being caught napping in the matter of the munitions of war has passed away. For this most blessed of consummations the nation's thanks must be given without stint to Lord Kitchener. He has kept his eye well upon the object here and has accomplished his design. He has proved in these vital matters the prince of hustlers, and the country would be ungrateful indeed if it forgot its debt.
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