In the House of Lords on Thursday the second reading
of the Army Bill led to a debate on home defence, which is to be resumed on Monday. As in the House of Commons, hypo- thetical calculations and sophistical subtleties in regard to the 70,000 raiders were tossed backwards and forwards, and there was similar talk as to whether the 70,000 would come as "single spies" or in battalions"! The latest official view appears to be that we are to expect 70,000 invaders in isolated raids at wide intervals of time and space. If the 70,000 raiders refuse to do what is expected of them by the Admiralty and War Office, and move "all together if they move at all," they will not be playing the game, and the Territorials cannot, of course, be expected to deal with them adequately ! We suppose the next step will be to say that anyone who suggests that they will not do what they are expected to do will be accused of imputing bad faith to the great German nation, and so of inciting to war, or, at any rate, of giving the Germans legitimate grounds for attacking us.
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