COUNTY GUARDS.
[To THE EDITOR OF THE " SPECTATOR."] SIR,—I have no wish to deprecate either your suggestions or Colonel Arthur Godman's on this subject. But may I point out a very serious danger involved in creating more or less nebulous and doubtfully efficient troops ? The existence of such troops makes it possible for politicians of a certain class, which I need not further particularise, to point to their numerical or paper strength as a proof of achievement, though, as we know, their numbers are an untrustworthy measure of their value. " Gentlemen who have had no military training, but who, from being able to shoot, ride, &c., would be useful," are not sc useful in the field as on the platform. Incidentally, one gentleman who can only ride, and another who can only shoot, could not well be combined into one efficient soldier, unless, indeed, the County Associations were to mount them in pairs on some of the " white elephants " of which the Associations are likely to have a considerable overplus.—I am, Sir, &c.,
PATRICK PERTERRAS.
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