28 OCTOBER 1905, Page 12

[TO THE EDITOR OP PHI "SPEOTATOILi

of the experiment which it is proposed to carry out, and also to state the principal objects in view. It is intended, if the necessary funds are subscribed (about 23,500), to procure one hundred young men, about eighteen to twenty years of age, and train them for six months, during which time it is expected that they will have become acquainted with all the essentials of an infantry soldier's training. I stated in the

Spectator of September 23rd the results which I anticipate, as follows :— " (1) The recruits shall be as good at drill, at gymnastics, and at musketry as any Regular of the same length of service ; (2) in a tactical exercise the recruits shall show themselves tactically more proficient than any company selected from any battalion of the RA.gular Army serving in the United Kingdom, provided that the company chosen to represent the Regular Army shall not be selected more than forty-eight hours before the trial takes place."

Should the proposed experiment be successfully carried out, two very important propositions will have been proved,—

(1) that it is perfectly feasible to train a Reserve Army to support the Regulars in a great war, upon a Militia basis, but on a Militia basis which will interfere very much less with civilian employment than that now in vogue ; (2) that in existing condition% the Regular Army is not as well trained as it should be, through no fault of the regimental officers,

but simply because the latter are not allowed to do their own work. I stipulated that the company to represent the Regular Army should not be specially prepared, because "the worst Captain of the worst battalion now at home, if

allowed meanwhile to train his men without let or hindrance, could so improve his company that the recruits would stand no chance against it" I greatly hope that the balance of the amount required in order to allow this very interesting and important experiment to take place may shortly be forth- coming. The system upon which the training would be con- ducted is explained in an article contributed by me to the

.Wi'neteentli Century for May of the present year.—I am, Sir, &c., A. W. A. Pones.