(To THE EDITOR OW THE "SPECTATOR." J SIR,—I have just
seen in your issue of June 18th a letter written by an Adjutant of Volunteer Artillery. Being an officer in the Volunteer Artillery, and knowing how that branch is treated, I am taking the liberty of writing to you to point out the discouragements it has to face. What I wish to put before you are facts, not arguments,—namely, that until two years ago we as a corps were armed with 64-pounder muzzle-loaders (those are now not permitted to be used) ; that now, although all our recruits have to put in an attendance at forty-live drills, the great proportion of which are supposed to be gun. drills, when they come to the drill-hall there is no gun to drill them at; that when we go for a week to camp we find that the gnus there are not of nearly sufficient number for the men in camp at the time ; that although we officers go through a course at a School of Gunnery, we have no opportunity of putting in practice what we learn there, except during the short week in camp ; that the officers of the Royal Artillery who see our men invariably express admiration of their physique and intelligence. Perhaps those facts will show that the Volunteer Artillery can still be improved without resorting to conscription. Had each company -of Volunteer Artillery two 5 in. or 6 in. breech-loading guns mounted at each station, with a depression range-finder, and the guns fitted with 1 in. aiming tubes to save expense, I think the Volunteer Artillery might shoot against the Royal Garrison Artillery, and probably beat them.—I am, Sir, &c.,
AN OFFICER IN THE VOLUNTEER ARTILLERY.
[We sympathise strongly with our correspondent. His case, we fear, is only one of many. Yet, unless we are mis- taken, it is proposed to make this inefficiency, produced by Government blundering, a ground for reducing the Volunteer Artillery. As Pharaoh first gave the Jews no straw, and then blamed them for not making good bricks, so apparently the Government first withhold guns fit for training, and then are preparing to condemn the Volunteers as inefficient.—ED. Spectator.]
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