In the Lords on Tuesday Lord Kitchener, answering appeals that
the Volunteer Training Corps should be used seriously, expressed first his high appreciation of the gallant service rendered by the V.T.C. in Dublin during the revolt. The War Office fully recognized the value of the Volunteers ; at the same time, the Government could not promise " support in money or in kind." Expenditure on the Army was very great. The utmost the War Office could do would be to place " part-worn equipment and arms " at the disposal of the Volunteers. The Government would endeavour to find mom work for them, but, having regard to the limitation of the time which busy men could promise for service, the task was not easy. As for the proposal that the number of Volunteers should be largely increased, " they had not reached that stage yet." Moreover, it was not desirable that the commercial and industrial work of the country should suffer from any neglect. But he did not wish to be misunderstood. He repeated that the Government recognized the value of the Volunteers, and could not speak too highly of " the work they had done and the spirit they had shown."
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