THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 10, 1880.

Thames Star, Volume XI, Issue 3497, 10 March 1880, Page 2

THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 10, 1880.

A* distinguished officer of the Imperial service— Colonel Leckie—is toinspect our local volunteer force this wedc. This cannot but be gratifying to all^ll-wishers of the volunteer movement.. Thames: residents in no ways corrected with any individual corps are, nevertheless most anxious by ever^iieans in their power to .show the value they set on an institution which has now become a national one. Colonel Leckie has acquired his military, experience in one of the finest regiments of: the British service,■■.■•; and is eminently fitted for the task of pointing out the defects of, and the remedies for the. shortcomings of the force.- Unless a nation is prepared to take up in serious earnest its own defence, it cannot hope in these days to hold its own among other nations.' At this moment the circnmstances of modern civilization have enabled war to be carried on in a very different way to what it was in former years. Formerly the movements of invading armies were "slow.v They had 'to, travel lpng voyages in sailing ;trans r i-portg. Now this, is changed. Steam Vessels carry troops 1 with great rapidity; ]It '; would''have been impossible in. the days of Napoleon the Great, for him to have! completed such a campaign as the Germans carried oiifc in: France, principally^ b^ the aid of steam locomotion. The possibilities of invasion are now very different to^ what they were sixty years ago. No, doubt the same British hearts beat in our colonial volunteers as did in their forefathers in former' times, and the same devotion and courage. We.do not think we have anything less in this i respect, but it must be remembered that with the arms of modern times, the extraordinary manner in which nations are able to maintain immense armies, that an empire like ours must be at a great disadvantage if suddenly attacked by the overwhelming force of a great .martial nation.■ We dp not lose sight of that' great force,- the Royal Navy, but ■,we;-:;lJilk'| :i)Faiir' J-?ini'| th^ face the possibility of invasion. What led to the Tolunteer movement in the old country? It was the threatbf r invasion by France. The late Lord Derby revived the -.old volunteer force .that i existed in former days, and ever since the Tolunteer movement has become a national institution at home, India and the colonies. j We were taught :by the great French and German war that however bold, courageous and patriotic men may be, undisciplined raw levies are of little use before well-disciplined troops. Ifc is for this reason volunteers should be thoroughly and efficiently trained in the duties they may yet have to perform. It is impossible for them jto perform those duties without strict atid due regard to discipline and subordination in the field. When: off duty no doubt volunteers should meet their officers in the same way as in ordinary private life, but when; in uniform strict discipline and respect should be shown the officers by the men. It^is, however, impossible for volunteers to become thoroughly efficient without proper opportunities of acquiring a knowledge of: battalion and - brigade drill. 'Squad and Company drill may be learnt by gaslight, but tjaere the.proficiency of our officers and men must end, until further opportunity is afforded them of daylight drill. The exertions of Major Murray for an Easter encampment have this year ended in failure. The Government would grant no aid towards such a necessary project; The verdiot of every military officer, after inspecting volunteers is "You cannot become efficient without daylight drills." The volunteers already give up a large portion of their leisure time to serve the State, and it is not to be expected that men who have to earn their livelihood by daylight, can give any portion of those hours to volunteering without reward or recognition.