LEWISHAM SCHOOLS RIFLE ASSOCIATION. [To THE EDITOR Or THE "SPECTATOR. "]
SIR,—Bearing in mind the Spectator Experiment in Militia Training, will you allow me to send you the enclosed booklet, which gives some details of this Association ? I feel convinced that after carefully perusing the purport of the work on which we are engaged, you will give us the publicity of your paper, and so help us to carry the idea to a successful issue.
Out of forty-three schools (primary) in this borough, thirty- nine have joined, with about seventy per cont. of the lads who are over ten years. We have formed them in five battalions of forty companies. The working staff consists of (so far) eleven Field Officers, thirty-four Captains, twenty-eight Lieutenants, all experienced. We want to teach all lads over ten drill, and all over twelve shooting. They leave school at fourteen. Thus we shall have them under training while at school for four years ; when they leave school there will remain, say, fifty per cent. in "senior" companies for three years; total, seven years ; at which age, seventeen years, they are available for the Volunteer regiments, which will doubtless thus obtain a large increase of perfectly trained recruits, as the local Volunteer regiments will be in touch with our "school" battalions and our " senior " battalion the whole time. (The average Volunteer remaining three years, this would give continued training for ten years, thus building up the national Deserve Lord B,oberts calls for.)
We can raise locally sufficient money to continue our work, but not sufficient for equipment We require three thousand dummy rifles at ls., 2150; (next year) one thousand old carbines at ls. 6d., 275 ; caps, rank badges, haversacks and bottles, belts, bugles, and drums, say 2250; total, 2475, or leaving out of account the carbines, say 2400. Will you open your paper for us to endeavour to collect this fund ? We have miniature rifles for shooting, and are obtaining the necessary ranges within the borough. From the tames of our supporters (p. 2) you will see that we are working seriously. It is now a question of success or failure through want of funds for equipment.
—I am, Sir, &c., JoaN BOYES, Hon. Sec.
19 Perry Hill, Catford, S.E.
[We gladly publish our correspondent's letter, and we have nothing but praise for the patriotic work which the Lewisham Schools Rifle Association is undertaking. It is work we should like to see imitated in every borough and county in the kingdom. We cannot, however, take the responsibility of opening a subscription as Air. Boyes desires, or of appealing to our readers. They have already supported most generously the Spectator Experiment in Militia Training, and it would not be fair to beg their help so soon again, even for an object so good and so eminently consistent with the views .of the Spectator as the training of schoolboys in the elements of national defence. In addition, we could not single out a special locality for help. At the same time, we are delighted to .let the public know what is being attempted at Lewisham, and we feel sure that our readers will regard the proposal with strong sympathy.—En. Spectator.]
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