The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1881-06-28 00:00:00

punt Conntti exprns.

DORCHESTER, TUESDAY, JUNE 28, 1881.

STANDING AILIIIES AND POLUNTZERS.

On Saturday, the 9th July, Her Majesty intends to
review the Volunteer Forces in Windsor Great Park,
sad they are expected to number 51,000 men. This,
of course, Is far leu than the class of volunteer' who
could be brought together, were the object to make a
&will of force; but this is not the case. The event,
however may be looked forward to as one of great
interest; not only to the volunteers themselves, but
to the nation. It will show how greatly the volunteer
force has become developed. In 1860 the Queen held
her first volunteer review. It took place in Hyde
park, and the number, which was considered very
ratifying at the times, warn 21,000, whereas this year
it will be at least 51,000. We think this fun is eium
on which the country may reasonably felicitate itself.
we present a striking contrast te most continental
national in our volunteer force. In scarcely any other
nation f Europe are volunteer soldiers known; but
In itr
n.arly all o them military service is c impnlaory. 1
In Sweden and Norway there is a small volunteer
force; there is also one in the Netherlands; but these
are only the exceptions, and the rule is that in Enripe
there is compulsory service for the whole male popula-
tion during certain ages. The vast standing armies
of Europe in this nineteenth century of the (jhrltian
era is one of the greatest anomalies, and we may fairly
eay,ll:lo,,f the greatest canoes of our time. The largest
army that the world has ever seen is the German Army
of the present day, and the laws of the Empire give
the Government power to increase it at a moment's
notice, so to speak, in case of emergency. It is an
astounding fact that, were ocnition to require it,
Germany could put into the field a force of no leas
than two millione of armed and well-trained soldiers.
France could put into the field a force of 1,200,000
men, and have a reserve of 600,000, Russia ham
780 000 men on a peace footing, but on a war footing
she could put in the fiedi as many men as Germany.
Compared with these gigantic military forces our army
Ii a email one. The total ,if our permanent army,
officers and men, is but 237,678 ; but, then, we have
yeomanry, militia, and volunteers. The well-known
motto of the latter is "Defence, sot Defiance.' They
are purely a defensive force; they cannot be called on
to serve out of their own country; but if they were
called on to defend our and their hearths and homes,
there is no doubt they would gallantly do s'. The
enormous standing armies of the continent constitute,
perttap., the greatest evil of our time. They are a
perpetual menace to other standing armies, and the
vast display of military etr-ngth in ono country leads
to a similar display in others. Nations go on arming
against nations, not one of them, let us charitably say,
desiring to go to war with others, but each fearing
that it may have to defend itself against some other
nation. Thus, an iniquitous rivalry and competition
are perpetuated' the arts of peace and industry are
discouraged, and the people are ground down by a
continually increasing burden •if taxation. Our volun-
teers have become largely devil tped in numbers and
In efficiency. They may now be said to number
200,000 men. They willingly submit to rigorous drill
and training; In marksmanship they are ouperior to
the line; in true soldierly qualities, so far as those
qualities are good, the volunteers are, at least, equal
to the regular army; and la bodily strength, activity,
and en finance the volunteers may be regarded as the
flower of our male population. They exercise a great
deal of self-denial, they cost the country very little,
and they are of invaluable service to us in constituting
themselves a self-supporting force for our defence, if
neei be. There is but little doubt that had not our
volunteer army increased so largely in number" and
efficiency of late years, very burdensome addition s
would have been made to our standing army.