LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.
PREPARATION FOR INVASION.
[To THE EDITOR OP THE "SPECTATOR."]
SIB,—Having lately travelled all over Northumberland, and thus come across the grand work undertaken there by the " Corps of Guides," I would ask you to bring this subject to the notice of your readers in order to induce them to push
forward this scheme in other counties. This corps, founded in order to help our defensive forces in case of invasion, guiding them by the little-known paths or the best routes, never failing when required, and having all the necessary local knowledge, must of necessity be of immense use to our officers, who have not the opportunity of studying their country's geography in detail as it should be. Northumber- land, one of the least threatened counties, has under its Lord- Lieutenant, Earl Grey, nobly set the example, and I may say from personal experience that I have already found this corps to be formed, and to be most serviceable and useful. More- over, as it is possible with a small outlay to exact a shooting proficiency from the " Guides," it is evident to even an amateur that bodies of men thus formed all over the British Isles would be a step towards organising the civil population in case of invasion, and would give our defending armies not only great local strength, but would add materially to the number of our defenders. I believe a "Chief Guide" is resident in each County Council division who selects his own subordinates, who never leave their own district. My excuse for asking you this favour is my keen desire to be prepared, and not to be like those in 1870 who showed that they knew less of their own country than their invaders proved themselves to
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