PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
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C.O. 885/5 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
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plan with regard to the enrolment by companies or individually, which will be likely to breed the least jealousy among the several militia battalions. I understand from Sir Edward, that what he has proposed with reference to this is based on the result of dis- cussions with able Deputy Adjutant-Generals in Canada, such as Colonels Straubenzie, Monsell, and Taylor, and Colonel Powell, of the Militia Department, Ottawa.
With regard to paragraph 11, I think that it will hardly be necessary that the General Officer Commanding in Canada should inspect the reserves every year, as the officer com- manding the militia would be fully competent to undertake this duty. It is desirable that the officer commanding the militia should be looked up to with perfect confidence by the men under his command, a result which might be affected by the annual supervision of another officer, whose inspection might give rise to needless jealousy.
With reference to paragraphs 12 and 13, reserve men should not be enrolled from among the active militia, it being of much political importance that the Canadian militia should not consider their ranks to be weakened by the formation of a reserve contingent.
As regards paragraph 20, I agree with Sir Selby, that the officers should be selected from the reserve militia, because it is of political as well as of military importance that the active militia should be kept intact. The General Officer Commanding would select from names sent up by the Deputy Adjutant-Generals.
I have, &c.
(Signed)
LORNE.
P.S.-I request that the inclosures herewith sent, and these remarks, be communi- cated to the Colonial Defence Commission.
Inclosure 1 in No. 14.
Memorandum by Sir E. Selby Smyth on Plan for Canadian Reserve.
L.
IN my annual Report for last year I referred to the question of Canadian military reserves. In my Report presented to Parliament this year I enlarged considerably on the question of military and naval reserves as well.
There can be no doubt of the great importance to Canada and to the Empire that such reserves should be, as soon as possible, established.
2. In the Memoranda before me I observe two systems proposed.
3. (a.) One proposes to raise 5,000 men to perform eight drills monthly, to be certified by the captain, and to be paid 6d. a day by the staff officer of pensioners or district pay-
master.
I do not think it would be possible to obtain any number of men to perform eight drills monthly; they could not be so frequently collected, nor spare time for so many broken periods in the year.
4. (b.) Is apparently founded upon the recommendation in my annual Report, and I hope the Dominion Government may be induced to raise these three regiments of two battalions each, and if the Imperial Government would either subsidize them, or pay them altogether, the whole question of an Imperial reserve would be solved in a practical and substantial manner.
5. The next plan of raising fifty-six companies, to form seven battalions, to be trained
one month each year, to receive 6d. a day reserve pay, besides training pay,
6. This plan does not contemplate permanent battalions; therefore these companies must be affiliated with battalions of active militia in excess of the established strength of such corps, and forming an additional or reserve company.
7. I think the pay and bonus will be sufficient inducement for men to enrol, without any mention of land grant. There are plenty of young men, farmers' sons, of the very best material, the tramps or floating population of towns with no fixed abode, and no tie to remain in one place, would be useless to count on as a reserve.
8. The question is how to enlist a reserve, and how best to train and induce them to remain after enlistment.
9. It would not work to have Imperial staff officers of pensioners or that sort of officer to enlist, for the militia force in general would work against them with their local influence, and so spoil everything. They have a strong feeling of "Canada for Canadians," and would not submit to Imperial officers coming in the way of filling up their own companies, but would employ their own Members of Parliament and the public press to stop it. These sort of men pull a good many wires, and therefore we must work in accord with the
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active militia, because we should be unable to work either against it or without its influence.
10. The whole success, therefore, of this project, I conceive depends upon full co-operation with the militia of the country. The prejudices and susceptibilities of the force would thus not be lost sight of, and instead of thinking these companies would supersede them, and give them only second place, would I believe do all in their power to encourage volunteering into the Imperial reserve, having at heart the honour of the Empire.
11. The local command should, like that of the militia, devolve upon the Deputy Adjutant-General of each district, and the task of organizing the reserve should be under the superintendence of those officers,
12. Certain battalions would be selected by them upon which to affiliate the reserve company. They would then order certain captains of militia to enrol in excess of his strength a percentage for Imperial reserve, say one-half; one would be the active, the other the reserve half company; or, the quota from each district being determined, the Deputy Adjutant-General should call for volunteers from the reserve militia; each parish in Canada would thus become the unit in this systemetic arrangement, such volunteers to be enrolled under the direction of lieutenant-colonels of active militia at the different head- quarters of the corps selected.
13. These battalion head-quarters to be the future points for concentration for annual training of reserve men affiliated to that battalion.
14. The companies of reserve to be supernumerary, and only linked to battalions. They should train part of their time independently, and complete the remainder with their linked militia corps.
15. Every second or third year, or indeed every year after the first, the reserve com- panies should perform the regulated number of days' drill with their affiliated battalion, and be grouped in reserve battalions of eight companies each at fixed points for the remainder of the twenty-eight days' training.
16. The three Ontario battalions to assemble at London, Toronto, and Kingston, the two Quebec at Quebec and St. John P. Q., on the Richelieu River; New Brunswick battalion at either Fredericton or St. John, perhaps a half-battalion at each, and the Nova Scotia battalion at Halifax.
17. I refer, of course, entirely to infantry reserves. I do not conceive it would be desirable to raise reserves for any other arms of the service in Canada, at least for the present.
18. As regards officering these companies, keeping in view the necessity for selecting the fittest, and at the same time giving Canada credit for her ability to supply officers as well as men, great care would be necessary in the selection.
19. There would be a difficulty in finding 112 officers, or 2 per company, suffi- ciently independent of trade or business to become reserve officers, and ready at any hour At the same time, I to forego their business and proceed on active service in case of war. confess I am amazed at the great military spirit of the population, and so, perhaps, the trouble I have stated might not really stand in the way when put to the test.
20. At any rate, Deputy Adjutant-Generals must find from the reserve militia or else- where officers of sufficiently proved ability and training, and then we shall always in future have an admirable body of young men who have passed the Royal Military College, and who could not be surpassed in every requisite qualification for military service, especially for the duties of Adjutant.
21. The want of non-commissioned drill instructors would be an impediment. I have so frequently brought this subject to notice in the shape of embodied infantry schools, that I only advert to it in the hope that eventually they may be established. Such instructors are a crying want in the force just now, and perhaps the Imperial Government might assist in maintaining these schools, in order that the reserve companies might be provided with trained Canadian officers and non-commissioned staff.
22. At first some trouble might be experienced in finding suitable officers to command the companies when grouped for battalion drill into seven battalions. The Deputy Adjutant-Generals would be obliged to seek out and secure the services of the most expe- rienced officers in their districts as Lieutenant-Colonels, Majors, and Adjutants, and good officers* could undoubtedly be found, only as they would have little interest in the corps, and only act as a point of duty, they would have to receive sufficient pecuniary inducement.
23. In the event of the reserve battalions being called away for active service out of
• Possibly from the Retired or Unattached List.
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