A CANADIAN CORPS OF GUIDES.
(TO THE EDITOR OF THE "SPROTATOR:1
Stn,—Those of your readers who are interested in the sugges- tion for the organisation of County Guides in Great Britain may be glad to see the details of an organisation of a similar nature which has just been established by Lord Dundonald is this country. The details are taken from a recent issue of General Orders for the Militia :— " Corps of Guides.—The formation of a Corps of Guides is authorised as hereunder :—Each Military District [there are twelve in Canada] is to have appointed to it a District Intelli- gence Officer, who will command the Corps of Guides in his
District. This officer to have special qualifications Each Military District will, for the purpose of Intelligence, be divided into convenient areas, called Sub-Districts ; and in each Sub- District an officer will be appointed, called the Sub-District Intelli- gence Officer. The Sub-Districts will conform as far as possible to
regimental areas Each sub-district will be sub-divided into Guide Areas, for each of which a specially qualified man (or men) with good local knowledge will be appointed as Guide (or Guides).
Duties of Guides.—The Guides should be intelligent men And capable of active work, with a knowledge of the topographical features of the country as well as of the roads, the country between roads, side-paths, names of farmers, etc., in the area, and when possible should be in possession of a horse.
Duties of Sub-District Intelligence Officer.—Each of these Officers will be supplied with a sketch-map, and will be required to fill it in with military information as far as he can manage to do so, whether the information is from his own observation or collected from the Guides. He will also be called upon to reply to a set of questions furnished him. The questions will bear on information necessary for military purposes.
Duties of District Intelligence Officer.—The duty of the District Intelligence Officer will be to collect the reports and also the maps produced by each Sub-District Intelligence Officer, and transmit them with replies to certain questions, and other remarks, to the Intelligence Staff Officer at Headquarters. The rates of pay of the active Militia will apply to the Corps of Guides when called out. Officers, non-commissioned officers, and men appointed to or enlisted in the Corps of Guides will be permitted to count their service therein towards the long-service medal; back service in the Militia will be allowed to count. The whole of the above to be called, when formed into a regiment, the Corps of Guides, and to take rank together in order of seniority."
The publication of this novel scheme has been received with universal approval in Canada, and the work of carrying it into effect is going forward energetically.—I am, Sir, &c.,
CANADIAN READER.
[We are delighted to hear that Lord Dundonald is estab- lishing so useful an organisation. He has splendid material on which to work, for there is no finer natural soldier in the world than the Canadian.—ED. Spectator.]
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