648 



The Review of Reviews. 



centag-e, happily, of those who have passed their few public-spirited gentlemen, who realised the 



early manhood in military service. This social value of the movement, very little progress 



recognition can, to take an example, be given could have been made, nor its rapid success 



effect to by privileged position being accorded become an accomplished fact. The War Office 



to the Reserve at national or local military and appeared to regard the Reserve merely as a 



civic functions. Their presence at such, in or- record of addresses of men who sent in their 



ganised bodies, will be, it is hoped, a striking names for registration, regardless of the fact 



example to the young men of the present day, that five or ten years later, when their services 



who, having no thought of the duty they owe might be required, 60, 70, 80 per cent, or more 



to the land of their birth, do little or nothing would have changed those addresses, have died, 



in their spare time beyond catering for their or, from age or infirmity, have become of no 



own selfish amusement. This applies equally practical use for the main purposes for which 



to all classes of the community. How many the Reserve had been instituted. With the 



in the metropolis, for example, of the hundreds registry of names, an easy and simple process, 



of thousands of well-to-do young men in mer- the whole system of work and organisation only 



cantile or other similar occupations do we find begins, if the Reserve is to become a livings 



giving personal service to their country? The reality and of practical military value to the 



few, very few, with their attenuated numbers, country. 



of so-called " class " corps in London, furnish Further action by the War Office about this 



the answer. time gave undeniable signs that the organisa- 



The inclusion of soldiers of all ages in the tion was still considered to be full of great 



Reserve, in order that they might benefit from possibilities. Field-Marshal Earl Roberts, V.C, 



the social side of the organisation, gave rise K.P., was gazetted Colonel of the Reserve, an 



in some measure, it is thought, to the name of Advisory Committee was appointed, with him 



" Veteran " Reserve by which it was originally as chairman, to consider questions in connection 



known, but which in the very earliest days of with the formation of the Reserve, and advise 



the movement was recognised to be a mis- the .A.rmy Council on the subject, and shortly 



nomer. "Veteran" Reserve suggested grey afterwards (November, 191 1) revised regulations 



beards and warriors of the past, whereas the were issued in Army Orders which, while still 



parades of the Reserve, as it gradually took allowing Territorial Associations a free hand in 



form, showed the majority to be men still in the framing its rules for organising in their respec- 



prime of life, if indeed they had already reached tive areas, directed that classification of members 



that age. by ages be made in order that data should be 



Resulting possibly from the success attending forthcoming as to the possible numbers which, 



the action taken in the county of Surrey, the as far as the rough classification by age could 



first Army Order constituting this Reserve as determine, might be available and effective for 



an officially recog-nised portion of His Majesty's military service. The Army Order also notified 



Forces, was Issued In Nlay, 1910. It authorised that a capitation grant of is. per head per 



its formation of men who had completed their annum would be paid on the number of ofl[icers 



military service " m any of the Armed Forces and men registered in the Reserve for the pur- 



of the Crown, and who, being under no further poses of administration and maintenance. The 



obligation to serve, were willing to register designation of the Reserve was also changed ! 



their names and give an undertaking to come from "Veteran" to "National." 

 up for duty in the event of a National emer- The methods adopted for registering and or- 



gency." No appeal could have been better ganlslng the Reserve varied considerably In the 



worded than found in that usually prosaic Army different counties. 



publication. In London an appeal was made to the mayors 



The Order directed that the duty of register- and councils of the municipal boroughs to co- 



ing the names — in other words, the formation operate in the movement. This course waii 



of the Reserve — was to be carried out by the adopted for three main reasons ; first, because 



County Territorial Force Associations of the it was considered that the metropolis was too 



kingdom, who were empowered to make their large to organise from one central bureau-, 



own rules and regulations for its constitution secondly, because the borough areas gave readily 



and maintenance. The Order also stated that, defined divisions suitable for decentralisation; 



beyond the expenses connected with the Initial and thirdly, by enlisting the sympathy and action 



registration of the names, no public grant would of the civic authorities, a strong connecting link 



be forthcoming to meet the administrative and would be forged to weld together the ideal, that 



other expenses of the organisation ; and, although the active military operations for the 



although a small grant was made at a later date, protection of a nation's homeland are in the 



had it not been for the patriotic generosity of a hands of a soldier, the means provided to under^ 



