The Volunteers in England.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 5014, 23 May 1889, Page 3

The Volunteers in England.

A London journal points out the increasing importance of tbo volunteer force at Home. There never was a time, it says, when the neentity for gating the volunteer force an

efficient fighting power was so apparent as it is at the present time, in the early days of its existence people smiled at what they regarded as the absurdity of the notion that the citizen army would ever be engaged in anything but a tearless battle, to use the phrase that was applied to a well known encounter which took place long before the Christian era. Our insular position it was argued, would always render the services of volunteers in ease of a great war bloodless. They would maintain order as a sort of military police in the absence of the Line or at worst of the Militia, it was said, hut they would never be called upon to take the field, for the simple reason that no enemy could ever land on our shores. We have changed all that, and it has been made abundantly obvious that the changed conditions of warfare, tho enormous maritime commerce requiring protection in the event of an outbreak of hostilities, and the strength of foreign navies, have combined to render the possibility of invasion a subject for serious consideration. Our first line of defence, it is admitted by tho most competent judges, should be tho Navy ; but they have made it clear of late that we cannot afford to regard the efficiency of volunteers merely from the point of view presented by the targets at Wimbledon or elsewhere. The relations with their employers of the members who are employees is becoming an important element in the constitution of that force which in an emergency would stand between tho general public and conscription. It is of vital importance that employers of labour, especially to any largo extent, should realise the value of the military force which has survivedmuch neglect, andto-day isagreatfactor in our calculations for national defence. It is declared that there are many firms who, while not daring openly to prohibit those persons in their employment from becoming Volunteers, yet secretly oppose the in their mode of treating those engaged them who wish to attend drills. If this is the case it is a pity that the names of such firms are not generally known in that connection, in order that public opinion might effect that which patriotism seems unable to do. We hope soon to hear that the fund of a hundred thousand pounds proposed to be raised by (he Lord Mayor for tho benefit of Volunteers has been obtained. j