THE KING'S CALL

Evening Post, Volume C, Issue 23, 27 July 1920, Page 3

THE KING'S CALL

LINKING UP REGULARS AND

TERRITORIALS

(ritOH OCR OWN CORnP.SPONDENT.I LONDON, 20th May.

By means of an address to Lord-Lieu-tenants, Lord Mayors, and Lord Provosts, the King has issued a stirring call to the nation to revive the Territorial Force. Twelve years have passed since King Edward made his appeal to create the force; and in the meanwhile, as King George says, the most prodigious events in. military' history have taken place, and "ray Empire and its people have been exposed to the greatest dangers. That we have warded off those dangers effectually and come safely through the years, of storm and crisis to a complete victory is in no small measure due to the Territorial Force. More than a million Territorial soldiers fought overseas shoulder to shoulder on equal terms with, the Regular Forces, and with the finest troops from every part of the Empire. There was no theatre of war into which British Territorial Forces did not penetrate ; there was none in which they did not do credit to the British name." A REMODELLED ARMY. "The British Empire has turned from war- to peace. Setting, an example to many nations, and giving proof of our confidence and of our goodwill to ihe whole, world, we have abandoned the principle of compulsory military service to which we were forced to resort in the hard times of war, and. have returned to a purely voluntary system. The foundations of that voluntary system must be a Territorial army, strong (enough, to enable the regular forces to move about the Empire, aa circumstances may require, to secure its frontiers, "and to maintain peace and order within them; strong enough also if, in the passage of time, new dangers of the most serious kind were again to confront us, to secure us the breathingspace necessary, to enable the full strength of all the peoples of the Empire to be organised for its defence." CLOSE TIES WITH REGULARS. "It is the intention of the military authorities to link up the Regular and Territorial Armies in the closest ties of comradeship, sharing in peace, as they did in the war, the honours and traditions of famous regiments, sharing also in those manly sports and competitions which will form a feature of increasing importance in the life of-a soldier during the years of peace, and in which the Territorial Army will be asked to take an active part. "The formation of a volunteer Citizen Army is indispensible to the freedom and the safety of the Empire. No more valuable proof of our peaceful,strength and of the soundness of our national life and character could be given to the world than the creation of such an Army by such methods at such a time. It will testify that those good comrades who bore the brunt and burden of the war, and who are now trained and experienced soldiers, have not wearied in their country's cause, and that the spirit of patriotic endeavour is still strong in the young manhood of the nation."