The Washington herald., 1906-10-21

branches of a soldiers education. shoot
ing. the men. despite the fact that the
majority Of them had never hred rife
before they were taken in hand. at
tanned a higher average standard II
craftsmanship than obtains In the ranks
OF the regular army. They were all great
~ improved, physically, morally, and in
teilectually by their six months training
better equipped than when they began
for the serious business Of earning a live
lihood in whatever occupations they
might follow.
l. of Vital Importance.
To make It clear that the experiment
touches military questions Of vital mo
ment and. indeed in the words OF the
King. of national Importance" some ex-
PLANTATION is necessary. England cannot
afford to maintain both a navy and a reg
ular army adequate to the needs Of the
empire Her peculiar position renders it
necessary that she should have a much
bigger and hence a much more costly navy
than any other power. On that all par
! ties are agreed Small as is her army
compared with the armies Of continental
! powers. her military expenditure. includ-
+ ing the cost of the troops employed IN
India, is greater than that OF any Of
them.
/ John Bull is convinced ne doesn't get
+ his moneys worth out Of the army. He
I Is determined that his military bill must
+ be reduced. That necessitates smaller
j regular army But without mourning
grave dangers such reduction can only be
made by having back Of the army nu-
merous, well-trained. and efficient citizen
army on volunteer lines. for the voice Of
the majority is emphatic against con-
/ scription.
Militia Is Auxiliary.
/ Heretofore the militia has been the
chief auxiliary force on which the nation
( has relied for the expansion OF the army
whenever there was fighting TO be done
on a big scale England has never gone
through a great war without employing
/ II. During the South African war the
militia offered for service not merely a
good percentage Of officers and men, but
the fun strength OF whole battaliOns.
( But, although its framework is good. the
material Of the militia is admittedly Of
inferior quality IN these days. In its
ranks are a large number of casual la
b0rers hooligans. and wasters-men with
out trades and incapable Of earning a
good living.
The chief reason is because the mill
/ tiamea. being bound 20 serve for one
month a year for so many years. find
/ this service incompatible with a serious
civil occupation. Employers viii not
give a months freedom to their men. In
the old days when England was chiefly
an agricultural community. there was lit
tie trouble On this score. But In indus
trial England. for the bulk Of It's man
hood, such service is impossible. The
militia cannot provide an adequate auxil-
larry force unless the conditions Of the
service are changed.
Strachey's Views.
Eve hold" saws Mr.. Strachey that
the miliuamen Of the future should re-
ceive a thorough six months training on
the lines Of the Spectator company. and
that after that ne should serve IN the
militia on what we may term volunteer
cOnditions-that Is. that he should do
only a weeks training each year under
canvas and certain amount OF drill
and rife shooting In MS evenings or Other
spare hours. We hold that the Spectator
experiment shows that If il were once
made clear to the youth Of the nation that
they could have six months instruction
would improve them morally, physically
and Intellectually, and then afterward
serve for. say. five or six years under
volunteer conditiOs, the country might
have. at comparatively small cost. a
militia force OF 100000 men-a force which
would be formed from material equal 70
if not better than that 10 be found IN
any army IN the world
Never Forref Training
: The experience Of the Swiss proves
b that drill and other things that 90 q
make up a soldier. once acquired. car
no more be forgotten than swimming
skating. or bicycling. A short oCcasiona
. practice is all that IS necessary 30 keeI
| him up 90 the scratch. Il is argued
by Mr Strachey that young men WOuiC
: readily give up six months Of their tim,
before entering civil occupations Tor If,
J in order 10 learn 20 be real soldiers.
That is, they would give six months II
J a lump although they cannot afford t
: give SIX months scattered over six years
because no employer viii engage then
with such mortgage on their time IN,
! great obstacle TO the adoption Of tn,
r scheme-or at least giving IL fair trial
lies IN the Obtuseness Of the solOns OF On,
war Office. who have made a mess O
, every reform they have attempted
ELLIS ELLSEN.