TERRITORIAL ARMY.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 230, 22 June 1908, Page 7

TERRITORIAL ARMY.

NUMBER ENLISTED.

NOT HALF THE REQUISITE TOTAL. MINISTER'S OPTIMISM. BY TELEGRAPH —PBES3 ASSOCIATION —COPTKICHI ' . London, June 19. The Right Hon. R. B. Haldano, Secretary for War, states that 148",459 non-com-missioned officers and mon have joined the Territorial Army, out of an establishment of 302,199. There was a inarkod increase in recruiting last month, which the Ministor considers highly satisfactory.

Newspaper commonts do not endorse Mr. Holdano's optimism. They regret the refusal of 60,000 volunteers to transfor their sorvices. Critics predict a shortage of 100,000 in the Territorial force. - "RIGID CONDITIONS." "The Express," one of tho keenest of Mr. Haldane's press critics in connection with the Territorial Army, remarked on May 2: "It is obvious that the members of tho old forco are not enlisting as they were expected to, and it would be far better for Mr. Haldano to take the country into his full confidence, and admit and endeavour to remove tho difficulties that are keeping back desirable recruits. _ The rigid conditions that surround service in the Territorial Army—of which tho iCS fine is a typical example—are not compatible with the idea of a citizen volunteer force. Wo are not among those prophets of evil to whom Mr. Haldano referred at Leicester, and we earnestly desire the success of his scheme._ But, by deed an well as by word, the authorities must recognise that the men who enlist in the Territorials are performing a patriotic duty at considerablo personal cost, and the way must be made as easy for them as is compatible with efficiency. If this is not dono the scheme will fail, and if the scheme should-fail we see no alternative but obligatory military service." ,