THE TERRITORIAL ARMY.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9167, 15 August 1908, Page 5

THE TERRITORIAL ARMY.

THE CAMP ON SALISBURY PLAIN.

SERIOUS DIMINUTION IN

NUMBERS

Received August 14, 8.25 a.m. LONDON, August IS

There is a further diminution in the number of Territorials in camp for training.

During me second week's training many battalions were 50 per cent, below last week's strength. Some of them were mere skeletons.

The newspapers commend the fine material available, but deplore the smallness of numbers.

The Second Division of.the London Territorials are encamped on Salisbury Plain. The strength of the battalions averaged 38h out of an establishment of 1,009.

Mr Haldane recently addressed to the London "Evening News" a le'.ter in which he made a stirring appeal to the young men of the nation to come forward and do their duty by joining the Territorial Army. The appeal was as follows:

The foundation of a Territorial Force or Army for home defence is no light matter. The appeal which I am making to the nation is inai its manhood should recognise the duty of taking part, in an organised form, in providing for the defence of the United Kingdom. The science of war is, like other sciences, making rapid strices, and if we would not be left be-

hind and placed in jeopardy we rnufct advance.

That is why it was necessity that the old Volunteer and Xtoinanry forces shoulJ pass, by a process of evolution, into the organisation of the new Territorial or Home Defence Army. Some there are who hesitate to do their duty in coming forwardmen who up till now have rtndered good service in the old organisation, i trust that their public spirit and their sense of what they owe to their country v/ill induce tnotn no lunger to htsitate.

It is for no selfish reasjii or mere desire of attaining some personal success tnat t;iid appeal is made to them. We appeal on behalf of the nation, which cads for its young men to do their dutv by the country of their birth. I believe that the appeal has not been made in vain, and that we shall find tLe old spirit as strong in the present generation as it was with their forefathers, whose ourage made the country what it

ia to-day. Lord Milncr, at a dinner of the National Service League (which advocates universal rniluary training), said that the league was supporting Mr Haldane, however inadequate it might consider the He said that whilo tne intention of enlisting local patriotism and bringing the army into closer contact with the second line was excellent, Mr Haldane had jettisoned conditions which he himself at first declared to be necessary. What was causing, and would cause, the failure of his scheme was the error of supposing that the voluntary principle would ever provide a basis strong enougn to sustain the superstructure of a

modern army. Lord Roberts said that even if men came forward to join the Territorial Force by June 30th it would be different from the army of which Mr Haldane spoke a year ago; from the 800,000 men of whom he then spoke, the number had dwindled to a .possible 315,000. Lord Roberts firmly believed that the country would not take a real interest in the question until convinced of the possibility of invasion.