4o6 



The Review of Reviews. 



ground. And the Universal Life, 

 potentially present in the " non-living 

 matter " of Professor Schafer, may at 

 least be conceived capable of pervading 

 the wafer and wine of the devout 

 sacramentalist. Interpret the fact as 

 we may, no interpretation can be 

 accepted which overlooks the enormous 

 power which the religious experience 

 evoked by the Sacrament of the Mass 

 exerts upon the modern world. The 

 Eucharistic Congress led to two hundred 

 thousand Catholics assembhng in the 

 Austrian capital. The railways were 

 used as for War-mobilization. The 

 largest buildings were placed under 

 requisition for the meetings. The Papal 

 Legate was received with all the pomp 

 and pageantry of the Austrian Court, 

 and was welcomed by the reverent 

 obeisance of hundreds of kneeling 

 thousands in the streets. The vast 

 international concourse has notified 

 once more to the world on a scale of 

 imposing grandeur that the historic 

 Sacrament of the Christian Church 

 remains at the beginning of the 

 twentieth century still invincibly en- 

 throned in the hearts of millions. 



All those who were 



A National prcscut this year in 



Duty. Hyde Park at the time 



of the Review by the 

 King of the National Reserve, or, as 

 frequently called, the Veteran Reserve, 

 were struck by the excellent appear- 

 ance of the men. In military circles 

 there was much enthusiasm expressed 

 at this acquisition of a trained force 

 for home defence, which would in time 

 of war serve as a last line of defence 

 and as a stiffening for the Territorials. 

 To-day the National Reserve has 



reached the satisfactory number of 

 close on 150,000 men, all of whom have 

 been trained as soldiers, and many of 

 whom held non-commissioned rank. 

 This work has been accomplished 

 practically with no assistance from 

 the War Office, although with their 

 entire approval. All that the men 

 receive is is. per head. Despite all 

 drawbacks and an ever-present lack 

 of funds, a very complete organisation 

 has been built up, thanks to the 

 enthusiastic devotion of Major-General 

 Sir John Steevens and his assistants. 

 Now, therefore, it is time to set the 

 National Reserve upon a more solid 

 and enduring basis so that it may 

 follow out its legitimate development. 

 While it would be easy to secure 

 adequate funds for this by private or 

 public subscription, we hold that such 

 a method of coping with the difficulty 

 would be a disgrace to the nation. 

 We do not wish men who have served 

 their country, and who are still ready 

 to come to our aid in its defence, to 

 have to go hat in hand to the public. 

 The War Office declares that it has no 

 available funds, although it is only a 

 question of four shillings more per man 

 that is needed. But the pubhc should 

 insist that the money be found by 

 the War Office. If there is no avail- 

 able fund, let the necessary money be 

 taken from the interest which will 

 accrue from the first six months' 

 payment by the public in respect of 

 the Insurance Act. This accrued 

 interest is earmarked for no definite 

 object, and may, therefore, be used for 

 the greater form of national insurance, 

 which is the securing of the country 

 against foreign invasion. 



