All agree that it is incumbent upon all portions of the Anglo-Saxon race owning allegiance to the King to draw closer the bonds of unity, and within our own social family to seek that strength and support which we can never hope to find from alien nations.
The Military Obligations of the Empire.
The necessity for a Military Unity may therefore be regarded as universally acknowledged, and it will only be necessary to consider in its turn the military obligations of our Empire for which this unity is so desirable. These may be divided as follows:
(a) The maintenance of order and of our sovereign rights in all parts of our world-wide dominions, and the conduct of those military operations necessitated from time to time by the natural expansion of our trade and commerce.
(b) The defence of the Empire in whole or part from foreign aggression and the fulfilment of our treaty obligations.
It is obvious that for (a) we have, in addition to our great fleets, the Regular Army of 197,889 men (vide table on p. 248), which, with the garrison of India, 74,450, gives in all a total of 271,839 of all ranks. Of this number, however, it is estimated that no less than 40,953 are under twenty years of age, and therefore ineffective for war. The Reserves will accordingly, when called out, do little more than make up wastage and complete the existing peace establishments. It was found in 1899 that with forces similar to those now in existence a field force from the Regular Army at home of more than 70,000 was not procurable.[1] In the event of a war with a European Power, or combination of Powers, it is doubtful if even this number would be available for a field army.
- ↑ Report of the Royal Commission on the South African War. Sec. 59 and 60.
