THE NATIONAL RESERVE.
[To ran Earns or ran "Bracraron..1
Sra,—The able and interesting article on the National Reserve in your issue of March 14th will, it is to be hoped, be widely read, and be the means of making known to the country generally the great value of the National Reserve. These old soldiers do, indeed, offer an object-lesson in patriotism to the men of Great Britain which might well be taken to heart by some of our fellow-countrymen. Not content with having once done their duty in the various armed forces of the Crown, these men are coming forward once more in thomonds to serve their King and their country, and it must be remembered that practically all are in employment and a large proportion married, with families to maintain. They would be perfectly justified in claiming that they had already done their share for the defence of the Empire. Referring only to those under fifty years of age, it is safe to assert that, in the words of the article, they are "the finest and best trained ex-soldiers in the world" and "are literally invaluable." Unfortunately their value is not recognized every- where, and in some quarters there is a regrettable tendency to ridicule the movement.
I wish, however, to offer an opinion as to the method now adopted for utilizing the services of the National Re-serve in an emergency. My position with the National Reserve of this county has given me opportunities for intercourse with the men, and encourages me to claims certain amount of authority for my opinions. I hold strongly that it is a mistake to utilize these men to fill vacancies in the Regulars or Territorials, however pleasing it may be to the War Minister. The numbers in Classes I. and 11.—viz., 13,000 and 45,000 out of a probable total of 150,000—is very low, only 8I and 30 per cent. respectively. It ought to be much higher. The deficiency, in my opinion, is due to two causes. First, that the married man in good employment is unwilling to give the required undertaking, as he objects to promise that which he may find it impossible to fulfil, and further, as is well known, the soldier is most suspicious of signing any document. It is difficult to get him to understand that the agreement is terminable at will, and he naturally asks why there should be an undertaking at all, if that is the came. Secondly, the National Reservist is averse from joining Class II., for he is disinclined to put him- self under the orders of non-commissioned officers much his junior in age and length of service, and with probably consider- ably less training and military experience. One is inclined to sympathize with an ex-Regular who, after eight years with the colours, possibly in various parts of the world, with perhaps a couple of campaigns to his credit, finds himself being ordered about by a young Territorial non-commissioned officer of four years' or less service.
The remedy, I believe, lies in the abolition of the above division into classes, and in enrolling the National Reserve for home defence in their own units. There is no doubt that a call for volunteers for Regular or Territorial units would, on emergency, produce a large number, provided a reasonable bounty or other inducement were forthcoming. The future of the National Reserve lies in the formation of units not larger than a battalion under their own officers and non-commissioned officers, and such is now being done in this county. A few company drills and a musketry course of twenty-five to thirty rounds annually will suffice to make the men efficient for what I conceive to be their legitimate role—via, the defence of vulnerable points and the preservation of public order. It should be remembered that, if invasion ever does occur, a flood of criminals might be let loose, to cope with whom the unarmed police of the country would be powerless. A trained and organized National Reserve would relieve the Army of many a rearward duty and release more men to face the enemy. I, for one, firmly believe that, with a suitable capita- tion grant, it will be possible to obtain 300,000 first-class fighting men under fifty years of age for home defence. Ten shillings a head, or £150,000 a year, would be a small sum to pay for such a force, and with sympathetic treatment such a force could be raised and trained, such is the keenness displayed by the men.—I am, Sir, de., H. S. WHITS, Lt.-Colonel, Organizing Officer for the National Bezel-re of Woreestereldro and on officio Member of the County Territorial Association.
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