BRITAIN'S WAR STRENGTH.

Dominion, Issue 1337, 15 January 1912, Page 5

BRITAIN'S WAR STRENGTH.

1 FOREIGN POLICY OBLIGATIONS. SPEECH BY LORD ROSEBERY. DEFINITE ALLIANCES AND VAGUE ENTENTES. By Teleerat>n-Pre*j Association-Copyright (Rec. January 11, 5.5 p.m.) London, January 13. Lord Hoscbcry, speaking at Glasgow, referred to Lord Roberts's serious criticism of the Territorials. Such warning, said Lord Hoscbcry, should carry enormous weight. Moreover, England was now embraced within the Continental . system, and committed to vague liabilities and obligations which might lead us into tho greatest war since tho days of Napoleon. Ho would not criticise Sir E. Grey (the Foreign Secretary), but contended that if Britain's obligations under foreign policy y,-cie accepted, she must bo prepared to make tho liability good. Ho preferred definite alliances to vaguo ententes, inasmuch as an alliance's limit was defined. THE TERRITORIAL FORCE. INDUCEMENTS TO RECRUITS. A military correspondent of the "Morning Post" writes:— The present position of the Territorial Force is a strange commentary upon the heroic endeavours mado by the reformers of our Home Defence Forces. After all tho .unparalleled efforts the numbers that can be attracted to the force arc but little more than those that were obtained in the sleepy years of the " 'Eighties," when no one, least of all the Government, bothered themselves about the Volunteers and Veomnnrv. The official figures of strength show that 210,0110 men were obtainable without effort in 1803, and on into the early 'seventies, over 210,000 in the late 'seventies, in tho 'eighties 210,000, and so on in the same proportion according to the increase in Imputation. During the period of transition from the old Volunteer status to that of tho Territorial Force' the fate of the voluntary system hung in the balance, though au appearance of success was given by what is known as "boom recruiting," men being canvassed, cajoled, and urged into the force by those who had influence over thorn'. Viscount I'nldano had his bad hours at this period, but he survived what seemed certain misfortune, with the prospect, however, of having to renew the struggle later on; that is to say, his "bcom" recruits go out'in .1012-1913, and as these men number three-fifths of tho present strength it seems likely that nothing less than another boom will replace those who do not re-engage. Lord Haiti line lias lost only 20,000 time-expired men this year, but the ratio will increase in the two years to come. There must bo a considerable inducement offered to chock this attention movement, and it will probably be one of the. following—fl) a bonus to the man; (2) separation allowance to married men; (3) drill pay at lid. per drill to all ranks; (4) free issue of boots; (5) increased camp allowance; (0) better equipment and more sheeting. It is understood that tire first is not popular; tho second finds considerable favour; that the third is debatenble on tho ground of expense: the fourth is papular; the fifth' most satisfactory of all; and the sixth will almost without question be granted. The truth of the Territorial problem lies in the fact that for 50 years, under varying circumstances, the "nation has provided an average number of Volunteers and Yeomanry and raTcly exceeds that number except in times of national stress, when untrained men. of course, rush forward. It is tho inability of the authorities to recognise this bedrock fact that causes so much worry and disappointment. Let the authorities realise that tin recruiting limit has a definite average. They will not then bo led into fixing a minimum number of 313,000 for safety and afterwards have to call it a practical maximum and- be content with 2113.000 out of that total. In 1906 Lord Haldnne's numerical estimate of a total h>htiug force ran a.s high as .900.000 men. This meant a very considerable increase on the 313.000 Territorials. Earl Roberts was also told that the force might be doubled. Yet that Lord Haldane grows more ready every year to realise the concrete fact that voluntary recruitment has a fixed limit can bo gathered from these declarations in his speeches:— May 15. 1906. —If we had sufficient national enthusiasm wo manage, to put into the field and maintain an army of seven, eight, or nine hundred thousand men. November 20. 1911.-Wo should have (in emergency) 400.000 troops. The Territorial Force is short of 50,000 mei. . . .it ought to be full. Tho fact remains that we have five-sixths of the Territorial Fo-ce. and that is enough to givo tho organisation required, Lord Haldane mentioned on November 20 that the National Servico League had cost them 20.000 or 30.000 recruits. The reply of tho league is definite and to this effect: We have not stopped a single man joining; on the contrary, we have assisted recruiting, and ha'c popularised tho idea'of serving in the national forces as a duty of citizenship.