5 APRIL 1919, Page 3

Mr. Churchill made an important statement about the Territorial Force

at a Conference on Tuesday. The Force is to be reconstituted at once, with a strength of fourteen divisions and fourteen mounted brigadee. The Territorial officers who have held commands during the war will be specially considered for the commands in peace, and the Staffs will be selected forth- with from the Force. The regimental officers no longer required will pass into a Territorial Reserve of Officers. The rank-and- file will be recruited only from those who have served in the war. The pay for training will be the same as for the Regular Army. The Government are favourable to the suggestion that employers should be compelled to grant leave to Territorial employeea for the annual training—a measure which seemsto us absolutely essential. Territorials will not be liable to serve oversee. in an emergency until Parliament-has imposed Conscrip- tion. Mr. Churchill recalled the magnificent services of the Territorial Force, which sent over a million, men into the field and sustained nearly six hundred thousand casualties. Had it been better organized, it could have done much more in the early days when the situation was very critical.