VOLUNTEER TRAINING CORPS.
[To THE EDITOR OF TUB "SPECTATOR."] SIR,—In the early days of the formation of the Volunteer Training Corps, the War Office advised the Central Associa• tion that "any man below the age of forty years who joins a Volunteer Training Corps on or after the 1st June, 1915, will be required to sign an undertaking that he will enlist into the Army if specially called upon to do so." The object of this letter was apparently, according to a recent speech of Mr. Tennant's, "that in cases where good and sufficient reasons are not shown, a man ought not to be allowed to take the lesser obligation when he ought to fulfil the greater obligation of serving with the colours." I think, however, that all those who have had experience with Training Corps will agree that the result of those joining who are of military age has been to urge them to join the colours rather than the reverse, and that those who had apparently good reasons for not originally enlisting have, after a short experience in a Volunteer Training Corps, become members of the Regular Army. I venture to suggest, therefore, that the restriction of the War Office should now bo removed, and that the pressure should rather be the other way—i.e., that the War Office should express a wish that all men, whether of military ago or otherwise, should join their nearest Volunteer Training Corps, thus becoming as fully trained as possible, and ready to pass on to the Regular Army as circumstances require.—I am, Sir, &o.,
HERBERT WARREN.
21 Broadwater Avenue, Letchworth.
[In our opinion, the wise plan would have been for the War Office to allow men of military age to join a V.T.O. unit for six months. At the expiration of that period the Volunteer would have either to enter the Army or else leave the Volun- teers. In most eases the Army would have got a trained recruit. At the same time no encouragement would have been given to the slacker.—ED. Spectator.]
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