A remarkable proof of the spirit inspiring the men was
conveyed by a voice from the ranks. The Secretary of State for War in the course of a speech which showed plainly how completely and thoroughly he had realised the full meaning of the parade, speaking with appreciation of what had been done by the county of Surrey, talked of the men as representing their county. " We represent England!" was the perfectly courteous yet firm interjection of one of the Veterans,—an interjection the meaning of which may literally be said to have vibrated through the ranks of the Veterans and of the crowd who were looking on. What the man meant was clear. " We are here not out of any local patriotism or to show off the merits of our own county, but simply and solely as a national duty." That Mr. Haldane would be the first to acknowledge this, and to build upon this spirit, was perfectly clear from the whole tenor of his remarks. In fact, Mr. Haldane told the men that he was in the presence of a bigger thing than he had imagined when he agreed to come to the parade, and that, though be could not. commit
himself to details, he was determined to utilise that spirit and the raw material which he saw before him in the best possible way.
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