The Press.
London, England, 1855-02-10 00:00:00

THE PRESS.

THE MEDITERRANEAN RESERVE.
REINFORCEMENTS Will soon be required urgently
in the Crimea, and we are in danger of having
a very inadequate number to send. Nlost of our
available regiments have already arrived at
the seat of war. The Foreign Legion is not
yet in existence. The Mediterranean garrisons
are below their ordinary strength, and cannot
be sent on until relieved by militia regiments
from home.

The Foreign Enlistment Act has sign ally
disappointed the expectations of its authors.
According to them, a very short period would
suffice to raise a large body of veteran soldiers
capable of forming part of Lord Rao LAN'S
army, and arriving in sufficient time to co-
operate in the assault of Sebastopol. Since
the passing of the bill, a month and a half
has elapsed, and we do not hear of the enlist-
ment of men enough to form a single battalion.
When found, they will need a long interval of
drill before they can act together and have
confidence in their officers. New regiments
are never fit for active service before several
months' training. In the summer or autumn
we may expect them to be ready for the Crimea.
but scarcely before.
The Militia Act is being carried out in a
most dilatory manner. We were told that the
requisite number of regiments could be ob-
tained immediately, and without the slightest
difficulty. It now appears that, by neglect of
recruiting, the longest embodied and most
efficient regiments have been allowed to be-
come so weak, that only four or five out of the
whole eighteen are able to raise the necessary
quota of 540 bayonets. The rest have received
an intimation that their services will not be
required, and circulars have been despatched
to a fresh batch of regiments, all of whom
have been but recently embodied. Additional
delay will be caused, and imperfectly-drilled
soldiers will be sent out; although there can
be no doubt that in time the required number
will be raised, and that about April or May
we may see 10,000 regular troops on their way
from Malta, Gibraltar, and the lonian Islands,
to join the besieging army.
But we must not rest content with this.
Supposing these troops to arrive when they
are wanted, and to be for the time sufficient
for the exigencies of the campaign, the ques-
tion arises, where are our next reinforcements
to come from? Let two or three obstinate
battles occur, or a great mortality be occa-
sioned by the pestilential climate, or enormous
reinforcements be poured in by the Czar, or
all these to happen together, whence should
we draw the fresh troops to support the honour
of our arms ? The whole of our disposable
army would be already in the Crimea, the
Mediterranean fortresses would be garrisoned
by depots, and by irremovable militia regi
ments, and at home we should have another
collection of depots, and a large force of raw
militia regiments. It must be remembered
that the depOts, under the most favourable
circumstances, can only keep up the strength
of their own regiments. Hitherto they have
not accomplished even that. Where, then, are
we to find new forces ? _ _

The only possible plan would be to ask the
most efficient militia regiments to volunteer
for active service. Of course the regiments to
be asked would be those already in garrison in
the Mediterranean. Under such circum-
stances of national peril the request would be
a command, which could not be disobeyed.
The men who had gone out under a solemn
engagement that they should not be sent on
would find themselves in a position iu which
they were compelled to go on. The public
faith would be broken.
But another inconvenience would ensue
from the want of notice of the intention of
Government. Regiments sent out with a
prospect of going on would make efforts to fit
themselves for warfare. Drill, fortification,
and all the studies of the regular army would
be prosecuted with diligence. The same
would not be the case with officers sent with-
out a hope of active service or a prospect of
rising in the profession of arms. When
placed before an► enemy the latter regiments