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THE STANDARD OF STRENGTH FOR OUR ARMY 257
would not be too many for drafts to maintain the fight-
ing line for a certain time until recruits were sufficiently
trained to come to the rescue. Here there is an enor~
mous hiatus in our arrangements. In the current year's
Estimates the reserve of the Regular Army appears as
90,000 only, which, according to the testimony of all
experts, is far too small. The numbers in the first line,
if serious war is contemplated, should be equalled by
the numbers behind them who can be called on with
certainty and without delay. How we are to get a re-
serve of trained soldiers may be even a more difficult
question than how we are to get an army of trained
soldiers on a peace footing to begin with; but we must
of course state the problem if it is to be solved at aU.
On a complete war footing we may want still larger
numbers of Regular soldiers, although the numbers
stated, it will be observed, would provide a consider-
able force either for defence against a great invasion
at home or defence against invasion by one of our land
frontiers. We should have 80,000 of the field army at
home in esse, and to that might be added at once
another 80,000 drawn from the reserve, still leaving a
reserve of 80,000 men behind. An effective field army
of 160,000 men with 80,000 behind, apart from recruits
and volunteers, would be able to defend a line of over
a hundred miles, and thus neutralize a very la'rge in-
vading force, which could only have a narrow space to
deploy in, looking to the conditions of harbours which
have to be secured as a base of operations. If employed
abroad, in India for instance, the 160,000 would bring
up the local army, exclusive of native troops, to 230,000,
which would again be a considerable force, looking at
the line or lines of attack which must necessarily be
fol1owed by a land invader. Stil1 we may want more
numbers. We may be defeated at sea. and invasion
thus rendered possible. while a large part of our field
army is locked up in India or elsewhere. The training
and discipline of forces beyond the numbers stated
appear accordingly to be suggested. And such forces
II. S