1000
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469
in an emergency to aseist in the defence of the Empire and I know that they think that if a man le a good shop and a good sportemen he is fit to take his place in the fighting line. I can assure you that this is a fallacy and that an untrained man in the fighting line, no matter how good a shot he may be, is not only useless but a danger of in modern warfare. I don't tell you this on my own authority alone but also on that of a far greater soldier, Sir John French, who during his stay here was much impressed by the difficulty of the surrounding country and said that here more than in other parts of the empire an untrained man would be useless in the fighting line. The Impar- ial idea is growing both at Home and in the overseas colonies; that is, people are realizing that the empire can only be kept together by every man making himself ready to take part in its defence and that it cannot depend on the standing army only for its defence. If you can spread this idea in Hongkong you will have done as much good as by your example in making yourselves fit.
The men then marched to head-quarters.
The band of the Buffs was in attendance.
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