The Duke of Cambridge took advantage of a question asked
by Lord Hardinge on Monday to explain his recent speech about the force at Aldershot. He did not mean that he was ready to take the force encamped there into action on its peace-footing, but that having carefully inspected the men and the recruits there assembled, he was perfectly satis- fied with their physique. It was such as it always has been throughout his whole period of service. It was in reference to their physique that he said he was "ready to take them any- where and do anything." He was quite aware that the ranks were thin, and should much like always to have recruits at twenty ; but if you did not accept them at eighteen, you would not have them at all. If the country wants older men, she must pay more. His Royal Highness finished by a rebuke to the Military Cassandras, which is beginning to be required. Let them prophesy evil, and grumble as much as they like, that is an Englishman's best fighting temper ; but if they go on calling the soldiers riff-raff,' they may one day be believed, and then, the men's self-respect being gone, "they will become nothing but riff-raff." The Duke finally defined his position with respect to Conscription. He believed it inconsistent with the institutions of the country, but wanted its old English form, the ballot for the Militia. We wish some officer familiar with our military history would explain publicly and in detail how that system -worked, and what amount of help it would give us in making an exportable fighting force.
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