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annually drill with their active militia to be afterwards reinspected by the General Officer commanding the regular ariny.
The Imperial reserve would thus have two superiors, each responsible to the other, and so a divergence or conflict of opinion might sometimes occur.
Each might probably be equally capable officers, but for the time being not immediately subordi- nate to the same source of orders, though no doubt each equally animated by the same public spirit and military allegiance.
The General Officer commanding militia being selected by His Royal Highness the Field Marshal Commanding-in-chief, would presumably be an able and capable General Officer, it would then only be incurring a possible friction to admit the dual command during peace.
When the reserves are required for service out of Canada, then, of course, hand them over to the Imperial General Officer commanding.
12 and 13. I wrote those paragraphs advisedly, and after consulting opinions with which I have reason to concur. If militia officers suspect that the Imperial reserve (a new movement to them, which they hear of with some hesitation) may in any degree tend to embarrass their own recruiting, they will oppose it with fatal result. After all, the term "reserve militia" is but the name for every able-bodied labourer and peasant in Canada between the ages of 18 and 60.
20. The unattached list is that referred to. There are plenty of good officers of active years upon it, and I concur that Lieutenant-Colonels should be appointed permanently; but, as I said before, they will require emolument in reserve pay, because some time would be occupied which would other- wise be devoted to their daily business or calling.
I likewise know several good and capable officers of the active force, but in this project I contem- plate and provide against a state of war, and so I desire to maintain the militia efficient-especially in the commanding officers of battalions, who should not, therefore, be liable to sudden removal.
I do not forget that England, at war with a maritime Power, such as Russia, would call for all the energies of Canada to protect her exposed and vulnerable seaboards on both Atlantic and Pacific, as well as probably to guard against an incursion of Fenians, along a tremendously extensive and unpro- tected frontier. Experience has proved this in former years, and three years ago the threat held out was ready to be realized.
If Canada were nowhere exposed while England was at war, then many thousand officers and men could be readily and safely sent away without regard to the efficiency of the militia; but Canada must look at home in every military entanglement, Imperial or otherwise, and maintain her active militia intact, and independent of the Imperial reserve.
When alluding to the selection of commanding officers by the Deputy Adjutants-General, I, of course, infer they should submit names for approval of the General Officer commanding militia. There being twelve military districts, embracing the entire Dominion between both oceans, it follows the General Officer commanding would naturally have the selection from all Canada.
Paragraph 21. Adopts the views I expressed, and which must be those of every military
officer.
The remedy I proposed was that which I have pressed for five years and a-half, viz., three or four embodied companies as training establishments for young officers and non-commissioned officers, as the gunnery schools are for the artillery, and a small subsidy might be given in aid by the Imperial Government.
It is a mistake to suppose that the Royal Military College could undertake such additional respon- sibilities. I again, this year, advised the addition of 100 men to each of the Royal Schools of Gunnery to form brigade schools of instruction for all arms save engineers, who, as such, could be taught at the Military College, and I again urge and press strongly the adoption of my suggestion.
Without well-trained drill instructors the Imperial reserve could not be made efficient in Canada.
E. SELBY SMYTH, Lieutenant-General.
(Signed)
Appendix No. 6.
CANADA.
Ottawa, April 24, 1880.
Inclosure 6 in No. 1.
Colonial Office to War Office.
(Confidential.) Sir,
Downing Street, June 25, 1880.
I AM directed by the Earl of Kimberley to transmit to you, for the consideration of Mr. Secretary Childers, a copy of a despatch* from the Governor-General of Canada with reference to the question of raising a Canadian contingent for the Imperial reserve, together with a copy of a further despatchf from the Marquis of Lorne, inclosing Memoranda by Sir Edward Selby Smyth and Sir Patrick MacDougall on the subject.
I am, &c.
(Signed)
R. H. MEADE.
* Inclosure 1.
+ Inclosure 2.
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