THE SEVENTY THOUSAND INVADERS.
[TO THE EDITOR OF THE " SPECTAT014.1
SIR,—Althougb Lord Roberts's suggestion, to which the Spectator gives support, regarding the origin of "the 70,000
invaders" is an interesting one, the following account will, it is believed, be found nearer the true facts of the case. Lord Haldane, having fixed the establishment of his Terri- torial Army at a figure which his experts considered attainable, but which he himself certainly expected to surpass, sought for an objective which would be worthy of the force, and without which, indeed, there would be no stimulus to its growth. He ascertained from the General Staff that the strength of a hostile invading force with which his Territorial Army could be expected to cope was 70,000 men, and in spite of the opposition of Lord Fisher at the Admiralty, who was with difficulty persuaded to remain silent, this figure was given out as the official basis, which Lord Haldane proceeded to exploit with all his energy. Subsequently the General Staff found that the Territorial force is unable to meet an organized invading army of 70,000 men, partly because of the deficiency in the Territorial numbers, and partly on account of other calls which have to be made upon it. An attempt was made to overcome this difficulty by a pronounce- ment that two of our six regular divisions should be retained in the country until the danger from invasion had passed, but this caused great uneasiness both on the Continent and among our own officers. It is therefore necessary to have recourse to another shift. The Committee of Imperial Defence is now considering this question, and to its councils are summoned not only the present naval and military advisers of the Government, who are known to be anxious about the present situation, but also those older officers of the "lie quietly in your bed " era, who some years ago came to the conclusion that 10,000 men were the maximum that might be expected to reach our shores. With their help it is not unlikely that the majority may arrive at an opinion which will not be embarrassing to the Government, and, in the case of those experts who start with previous predilections, it will doubt- less be an honest one. To crown all, Mr. Balfour, who presided at the earlier conferences when this subject was being discussed, has been invited to attend, in the hopes that he will help disengage the Government from its difficulties. He, of course, will speak according to his convictions, but he will at any rate start with a prejudice towards his former views, which will also be supported by his associates of those days. The Government does not hesitate to ridicule its superannuated officers when they speak in Opposition, but hastens to avail itself of the services of a select number of these officers when they may be useful.--I am, Sir, &c., OLIM.
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