§ LORD WENLOCKrose "To ask the Under-Secretary of State for War what 816 were the intentions of His Majesty's Government as to the mobilization and training of the Imperial Yeomanry." The noble Lord said: My Lords, I have placed this notice on the Paper for the purpose of eliciting such information as my noble friend can give as to the intentions of the Government with regard to organising the Yeomanry and putting it on a proper and sound footing in case it should be called up for any sudden military purpose; and I think I am encouraged in calling attention to this particular subject by the fact that since my Question was put down the Secretary of State for War in another place, when referring to the Imperial Yeomanry, said—
I believe there is no force in His Majesty's Service from which we obtain better value for money expended than the Imperial Yeomanry.It is thirty-five years since I first joined the Yeomanry, and I am sure there are many noble Lords in this House who also remember the old days, when a great deal of trouble was taken to place the Yeomanry on a proper footing and to train it on sound principles. They will remember how in those earlier days we were subjected to a certain amount of derision and were neglected, and I am sure they will be glad now to hear, on the authority of the Secretary of State for War, that this force is at the present time most satisfactory, and that there is no force from which His Majesty's Government obtain better value for money expended.I think it is not unreasonable that those of us who take an active part in this work should ask His Majesty's Government how far they are prepared to place the force on a still more satisfactory footing. I am, of course, alluding to what might happen in the event of the force being mobilised and called upon to undertake serious work in an emergency. All of us who are in the position of commanding officers of Yeomanry regiments must feel that at present we are rather acting as independent units and that we have no cohesion at all. There is nobody to place us in brigades or divisions, nor do we know exactly where to turn on mobilisation. I feel that this is hardly a satisfactory position, and hope His 817 Majesty's Government will embrace the present opportunity, when we are at peace, and there is leisure, of bringing up some scheme that will in this respect place the Yeomanry in a much better position than they occupy at the present moment. The Yeomanry should know what their position will be. Their stores should be in perfect order, and their transport and other matters so arranged that they could fall into line without delay.
Another point upon which desire information is as to the intention of the government with regard to horsing regiments if they should be suddenly called upon for action. I understand that this duty is to be entrusted to the Remount Department. I would ask my noble friend the Under-Secretary whether he thinks the Remount Department can possibly horse all the Yeomanry in under seven days, even if they can do it so quickly. I believe I could re-horse the whole of my regiment in a couple of days, and if this matter were left in the hands of commanding officers I am sure it would be very much more satisfactorily arranged, while the Remount Department could devote their attention to making arrangements for filling up any casualties that might occur at future stages of the operations. Again, it would be a very valuable thing if senior officers in this force had an opportunity of attending classes and lectures for instruction in the higher branches of their work. I have myself attended the only school at the disposal of the Yeomanry at Aldershot, but I found, as a senior officer, that the information imparted was hardly of a nature to be satisfactory to myself. I should be glad if a school of the kind I have mentioned could be instituted which senior officers could attend, and also if facilities could be given to those officers to attend manœuvres.
We have reached a certain stage in regard to the Yeomanry movement, and I do not think we ought to stand still. I hope I shall obtain from the noble Earl an assurance that the Government are looking into this matter, and will be able to do more for the force than they have done up to the present. At the same time I must say the Yeomanry are ex- 818 tremely grateful to the Government for what they have done in the past, and I am glad to see that the Government, on their side, recognise that for what they have done for the Yeomanry they have had ample return. I should also like to ask the noble Earl whether it is not possible for us to have our own drill-book. Legislation by reference is very unsatisfactory, but drill by reference is more unsatisfactory. We are given a small drill-book, and are told that we shall find other information in the cavalry drill-book. I certainly think that a force which numbers some 25,000 officers and men might be allowed to have their own drill-book entirely to themselves. This is rather a small matter, but it is one which I should like, while we are on the subject, to bring to the notice of my noble friend. I beg to move for Papers.
Moved, "That an humble Address be presented to His Majesty for Papers relating to the mobilisation and training of the Imperial Yeomanry."—(Lord Wenlock.)
*LORD HARRISMy Lords, if I might add a few remarks to what my noble friend has said, they would be in the direction of asking for something definite as to orders on mobilisation. I have been living for some years under certain orders as regards where my regiment is to mobilise in the event of England being threatened, and, of course, I have made all my dispositions accordingly. But apparently within the last year or so the system of command in the part of the country where my regiment is quartered and recruited has entirely changed, and all the correspondence which I have had over a period of, I should think, at least five years, has, I suppose, been transferred to some other officer, because the office with which I have been corresponding tell me now that they have nothing whatever to do with the regiment. I understand that the general officer who has been commanding at Dover has now nothing whatever to do with the Yeomanry. All my correspondence for five years or more has been with that officer, and I suppose that by some arrangement made at the War Office all that correspondence will be handed 819 over to the officer who is entrusted now with Yeomanry matters.
When a change of officers takes place it frequently happens that a change of views takes place. I have been under orders all these years that on the word "mobilise" being circulated I was to be mobilised at a certain place. Last year I received an order that one squadron was to mobilise at some other place, so I naturally asked where the other three squadrons were to mobilise, and I was told they were not to mobilise at all. That is a remarkable change in orders, and it is curious that the one squadron specially selected was to mobilise inside a fortress. Naturally a horse regiment cannot do very much inside a fortress, However, I think I am justified in asking who is going to supply the horses, because hitherto no arrangements whatever have been made as regards the horses for Yeomanry regiments on mobilisation, The men are bound to bring their horses to the annual training, for which they are paid £5, but there is nothing in the terms of their enlistment which compels them to bring horses if the regiment is mobilised; and I ask, who is going to undertake to find the horses—whether the men had better bring their own and the country compensate them afterwards, or whether the Government propose to find them. I was told that the Government were going to find them. I think it is a legitimate question to ask whether any arrangements have been made to supply Yeomen with horses when they get the word to mobilise. If we may gather anything definite from the speech made in another place by the Prime Minister, it is that if this country is to be attacked in earnest the attack is going to be very sudden, and, therefore, that Auxiliary regiments that have to mobilise will have I to do so very suddenly. Obviously the horses will be wanted in a hurry. Are we to depend on centralised organisation for sending horses down to parts of the country most immediately threatened, or is there any existing arrangement by which the local authorities might—I hardly like to use the word commandeer— engage horses, or be able to obtain them, on an occasion of that kind?
I hope the noble Lord will also look into the question of mobilisation stores.
820 Some years ago, during the war, the War Office issued a very remarkable order— that Yeomanry commanding officers were to make arrangements with local tradesmen for the supply of a very large number of articles. I should think quite three pages of small print were occupied in detailing these articles, which were to be kept in stock by the local tradesmen for an indefinite time without any remuneration whatever, except that at the end of the time, whatever that might be —it might be fifty years—the tradesmen were to have, I think, 5 per cent, increase on the Government price. There was not, therefore, very much profit to the local tradesmen in it, and your Lordships will not be surprised to hear that on making inquiries of every local tradesman of sufficient capacity to supply a large number of articles of this kind, I found no one in the least inclined to embark in the venture, and for three years I have been arguing with the local military authorities and endeavouring to prove to them that this was not a commercial transaction which appealed to local tradesmen.
My efforts had been without avail until the other day, when the Government amended their previous order and allowed that the articles need not be of Army pattern, but I was still to make arrangements with the local tradesmen to keep them in stock. What I eventually succeeded in doing was this. I informed the military authorities that there were certain tradesmen who kept certain articles of approximately similar character in stock, and I hoped they would be forthcoming when wanted, but I could not give any guarantee that some other regiment would not get in before me and take all the things I was depending on. That is not a practical scheme. I think that the large majority of these articles would be forthcoming upon the initiative of the Yeoman himself as soon as the word to mobilise went round, and that the Yeomanry regiment would be found where it was wanted without these voluminous prearrangements. But, at the same time, I suggest it is not a practical way of dealing with the matter to give orders which in themselves are absolutely impossible of being carried out.
821 There are two other subjects besides mobilisation stores and horses which require attention — namely, musketry schools for officers and non-commissioned officers, and a signalling school. Yeomanry officers may be able to give one particular month in the year at Hythe, but it is almost certain that on that month the school is already full. There are parts of the musketry course which are not absolutely essential for Yeomanry officers, and it might be possible to work out a shortened course and allow it to take place elsewhere than at Hythe. In that way I am sure we should be able to supply a very much larger number of officers capable of giving good instructions to their men in musketry. Signal ling is a most important subject, and one which many officers and men are very willing to take up. At present in my regiment there is a great deal of signalling done, because there are prizes given and the men are ready to take it up. But it is absolutely impossible for a regiment to earn anything for the corps unless an officer has attended a signalling class and obtained a certificate. It is necessary for him to go to a class for two months. It is really impossible for a great majority of Yeomanry officers to find two consecutive months to give to this voluntary military work, and I cannot help thinking that it would be possible for a scheme to be worked out involving some less time than the rather long period of two months. If an officer could get a certificate for signalling more easily than he can at present, I am quite sure that the War Office would find that signalling in the Yeomanry, which apparently is neglected, though, as I have said, many officers and men have taken it up, would be even more extensively learnt.
I do not want to be thought for one moment as saying that the Yeomanry have any reason to grumble at the attitude of the Government towards that force. In my opinion the Yeomanry have every reason to be most grateful to the Government for the assistance which they have received. That assistance has instilled absolutely new life into the whole force, and has enabled everything to be done in a much more 822 business - like way; and we are doing what I believe to be more useful than anything else — we are turning out annually into the country a large number of young men who have been taught how to ride and shoot. I am certain that the next time any serious war threatens this country a much larger number of healthy young men will volunteer for service at home or abroad than hitherto; and that result will have been achieved by the very kindly and liberal treatment which this Government have afforded to the Yeomanry forces.
*THE UNDERSECRETARY OF STATE FOE WAR (The Earl of DONOUGHMORE)My Lords, I am very glad to see that officers in your Lordships' House, representing the Imperial Yeomanry, so thoroughly reciprocate the efforts we have been able to make in the direction of helping that force. I can assure your Lordships that nothing gives livelier satisfaction to my colleagues on the Army Council than to note the improvement that has been made in the force, and the enthusiasm of its officers to keep on improving it. Your Lordships will have noticed that there is a complete absence of carping criticism on the part of the speakers this afternoon, and I can assure them, in the few remarks which it will be necessary for me to make, that we intend to try and do our utmost to help them in the direction that I know they wish to go.
Your Lordships will remember the debates we had on this subject last year. I am glad to say that we have already been able to meet Yeomanry officers on many of the points then, raised. A debate was initiated last year by the noble Lord opposite, Lord Lovat, in which he laid great stress on the need in the Yeomanry of another weapon. We recognised the justice of the views put forward on that occasion and we did, during the winter, supply the Yeomanry with a second weapon. We were also glad to meet a suggestion made by the noble Marquess, Lord Winchester, that we should allow men to re-engage in future from year to year. We have also, partly in deference to criticisms that were made last year, 823 initiated a new scheme of inspection, and, though it has not been referred to this evening, I may perhaps be allowed to say that we have found the new system of inspection, tried this year, work most satisfactorily; the inspections have been most useful and practical as regards the corps concerned, and we certainly intend to continue the system.
As to the question just raised by Lord Harris — that of signalling — we recognised last year that it was a grievance that no grant could be earned by any corp unless it had eight men efficient, and we were able to lighten the terms for earning this grant. We have made arrangements by which four efficient men in a corps can earn a grant—a certain amount, but not the whole £12 which the eight men could earn. But when we try to go the whole extent advocated by the noble Lord, and permit of a shorter course of instruction for officers to enable them to qualify for this grant we run our head, if I may use the phrase, against a brick wall of considerable thickness. The reason is this. It is the opinion of those who are concerned in these matters at the War Office that a signaller is no use to the Army unless he is absolutely efficient. Signalling is, in itself, most important, and it is also most important that an officer's knowledge of signalling should be efficient. The evil consequences that might follow from mistakes in signalling are so serious that we object most strongly to any suggestion of lowering the standard, I am sorry not to be able to meet the wishes of the noble Lord on this point, but I am afraid we shall never be able to make the course of signalling easier than it is at the present time.
I now come to a Question asked by Lord Wenlock with regard to a class for senior officers. The first difficulty we have had to deal with in this matter has been that of accommodation at our cavalry school, but I hope that difficulty will soon be removed. It has not been found practicable hitherto to have more than four courses a year for Yeomanry officers, and it has not, therefore, been possible to squeeze in a course for senior officers. 824 I daresay your Lordships are aware that it is our intention to considerably increase the size of the cavalry school, and it may then be found practicable— I cannot give any pledge, because I have not gone into the question with the proper authorities—to have a course for senior officers. But information rather tends in the direction of showing that if we did have a course for senior officers there would not be many senior officers who would attend it. In England, at any rate, a great many of the senior officers are ex-cavalry officers, and I doubt very much whether an officer who has been some time in the cavalry could get very much instruction out of a course for senior officers held at the cavalry school. I will, however, undertake that the point shall not be lost sight of when the accommodation is increased. As regards manœuvres, we are at present considering whether, if we have manœuvres next year, we can attach senior Yeomanry officers to those manœuvres for instruction, and in that way meet one of the points raised by the noble Lord opposite.
§ LORD WENLOCKDoes the noble Earl say definitely that we are to be attached to manœuvres?
*THE EARL OF DONOUGHMORENo, I say the matter is being considered. It is all a question of pounds, shillings, and pence, but I have every hope that we shall be able to do it. I now come to another point raised by Lord Harris, as to the possibility of our having local courses for musketry instruction. We are very much opposed at present to allowing these courses. Assuming that they were to be considered in the same way as courses at Hythe, and were to earn the Hythe certificate, the effect of such courses would be to depreciate the value of the Hythe certificate itself. I know that that Answer will be very unsatisfactory to my noble friend Lord Lovat, but I think his corps supply a very special case. I believe that a local course held in Scotland for the purpose of training the two Scottish regiments might possibly be attended with success; for this reason, that we should be working at once upon material of a special character. We should be 825 training men already skilled in the use of the rifle and the telescope, and I believe that a short course might be arranged with advantage in my noble friend's special case, but I cannot admit that a course held away from Hythe for the Yeomanry in general, or any regiment of Yeomanry, could possibly compare in value with a course at Hythe.
I know it may be objected that Hythe is a long way from certain parts of the United Kingdom, and that it is inconvenient for officers from a distance to attend. I should think there was greater force in that objection if experience showed that officers residing near Hythe were better attendants at the course than officers living at a distance, but that is not the case. I have received a letter from the Commandant of the Hythe School of Musketry, who says that officers living at a distance find that they are quite as able to attend the classes as officers living close by. I am afraid that I can hold out no hope that we shall be able to organise classes for musketry instruction for officers in different parts of the country, at any rate at the present moment.
I now come to the question of organisation, touched on by Lord Wenlock and by Lord Harris. I stated about a fortnight ago that resulting OH the recent decision of the Defence Committee a new scheme of organisation was being worked out for the United Kingdom. Of course, the Imperial Yeomanry have a full appearance in that scheme, but we have not yet finally decided upon it; and, therefore, I must ask noble Lords not to press me to give any details of it at present. Indeed, I should think that it would be very improper that minute details should ever be published, owing to the obvious un-wisdom of making known your mobilisation arrangements before you put them in force. They will, of course, have to be confidentially communicated to commanders of regiments and of troops, but the details of any scheme of mobilisation for home defence would obviously be of the greatest possible interest to foreign Powers, and it would not be wise, therefore, for us to publish them. I can assure 826 the noble Lord that real and substantial progress has been made in the direction which he rightly considers so important.
As regards the supply of horses, the present arrangement is that the Remount Department shall horse Yeomanry regiments on mobilisation. WV believe that in time of war, when the Remount Department would have its hands, so to speak, on almost every horse in the kingdom, and would have already made very considerable demands on the horse supply, they would be able with more certainty to provide the horses requisite for the Imperial Yeomanry regiments than would be the case if this were left to the colonels of regiments. On mobilisation the Remount Department would at once make very great demands upon the country, and there would be nothing to protect a colonel of a regiment losing all or a very large part of the horses which he had been counting on by their being bought by the Remount Department without his knowing anything about it. We think it is safer to have one buyer only in the field at a time of great stress, and when great demands are suddenly made on the market. That is the reason why it is thought better that the Remount Department should be entrusted with the horsing of the Imperial Yeomanry when war breaks out.
As to making contracts for mobilisation stores, I am sorry to hear of Lord Harris's want of success in this matter. I think he a little under-estimated the amount that the contractor is to get. I think the price is to be 16 per cent, over cost price; but that is a small detail after all. I note that the noble Lord is not very much impressed with the necessity of making these arrangements at all, and I am sure he would agree with me that most of the articles required are articles in common use, which it is practically certain could be bought at very short notice if required. However, I believe that some regiments have been lately more fortunate than Lord Harris.
THE EARLOF DONOUGHMOREI have not got the particulars with me, but I believe a certain number of regiments have been able to make verbal contracts, and one or two have been more fortunate and have made written ones; but I admit there has not been that great success under this particular head that I should like to have seen. With regard to the final matter referred to by Lord Wenlock, I believe there was a new Yeomanry training book issued, but I understand from the noble Lord that there is too much instruction by reference in it, and that he would like a more complete manual. This, of course, is only a matter of printing, and I shall be very glad to inquire if such a book as the noble Lord asks for could be conveniently issued. I am glad to note the turn the debate has taken, and I can assure your Lordships that we hope we shall be able during the forthcoming winter to meet some of the points that have been raised by noble Lords representing the Imperial Yeomanry in the same way as we were able to meet points raised last session.
LORD LOVATMy Lords, if we could have heard the Answer of the noble Earl before the criticisms were made, I do not think the remarks of noble Lords this evening would have been of quite so friendly a spirit. The very same points were brought up by myself last session, and practically, with two exceptions, we are in exactly the same position as we were then. We are given the same old reason, that there is a mobilisation scheme being prepared. I have been in His Majesty's service for sixteen years, and I can remember no year when it was not stated that there was going to be a mobilisation scheme in force the following year, but we have never yet had one published—I do not mean published in the ordinary sense, but commanding officers should know its general details as regards themselves. The question of training was brought up last year, and once more we are met with a statement that it will be considered.
LORD LOVATThe question of short courses of musketry instruction, a school for senior officers, and other matters in connection with training have been referred to. The question of the training of junior officers in musketry was raised last year, and the views then expressed were supported by Lord Roberts. The number of officers who have been to Hythe to attend the Yeomanry course has not very considerably increased from last year, and in consequence the training of the Yeomanry in musketry is not by any means what could be desired. The noble Earl has referred to mine as a special case. I fail to see how in any way I constitute a special case for a short course in musketry. As a matter of fact, the Commander-in-Chief for Scotland has been particularly keen on this question. He paid a visit to London to try to get this question of short courses considered, seeing the necessity for having them, and he had a class ready to take up of fifty-seven officers, had he been authorised by the War Office. That was one class alone. If this were done generally, the musketry of the Yeomanry, which is not in a satisfactory condition, might be raised to a very much higher standard.
With regard to senior officers, that question was brought up last year, and we were told that if we waited something might be done. We are again given no definite promise that we are to have a class for senior Yeomanry officers. Is it not absurd that Yeomanry officers should have to go through exactly the same course of training as majors as they go through as subalterns? I wonder what would happen if the Education Department were run by the War Office, and they abandoned standards and put everyone through the junior forms. I do not think educationalists would stand that method of training very long. If that method would be bad in regard to ordinary instruction, why should it be adopted for military instruction? The noble Earl says that ex-cavalry officers would not attend the class. I happen to have been a cavalry officer and I certainly would like to go to a senior class. As far as I remember, three of the Yeomanry regiments in the North of Scotland are commanded by officers who were in the cavalry, and 829 they all wish to go to a senior class. An officer trained as a captain or a subaltern in a cavalry regiment has not to write brigade orders and regimental orders in the same way that he does when he commands a regiment. The ex-cavalry officer does not necessarily know the whole duties of a Yeomanry commanding officer. The seniors, as we note from the report, are not so well reported on as some of the junior officers, and it is not reasonable that they should be. The seniors have so much more to learn. On mobilisation they will have to compete against the best cavalry officers of whatever force might land on our shores, and, therefore, it is essential that they should be fully up to their work. Surely we are entitled to ask for at least one class a year in which these officers can be trained. I can imagine no more reasonable request than that your senior officers should be given an opportunity to make themselves efficient for their position.
As to the general question of mobilisation, we had that subject brought up last year, and we were then told that in the future some mobilisation scheme was to be put before us. We do not wish, naturally, to have the details published, but we do wish to know certain general principles. We would like to know if we are to be brigaded, and, if we are, who is to staff those brigades. At a Yeomanry meeting the other day the opinion was expressed that not one single regiment could spare senior officers to go on the staff. Of Staff College officers there are only two cavalry men in England at the present time who are unemployed. Where are the staff to come from to look after the brigades of Imperial Yeomanry? We should like to have a definite statement on the subject. We asked for it last year. Time goes on, and we are still in the same position. Surely it would be an advantage if we were told where our mobilisation stations were, and where we should have to go. It is not necessary to elaborate that. If Yeomanry colonels knew exactly what portion of the country they were going to, they could study it, make their arrangements about transport and horses, and have maps ready which would enable them to be a fighting force at once.
830 Then, on the question of horses, we have had a most unsatisfactory Answer. We are told that a central body is to arrange for the provision of horses for the whole Yeomanry—some 25,000 Horses. Surely it would be better for the Yeomanry colonels to provide them themselves. It is an easy matter for Yeomanry colonels to ear-mark certain horses and notify the fact that they have so ear-marked them at headquarters. The Commander in-Chief in Scotland gave instructions that all the horses attached to his command were to have a price put on them, and that price is reported, so that if the whole of the Yeomanry were mobilised to-morrow, he would not only know where his horses are, but the price that would have to be paid for them. What is the use of having this central command? If there is an invasion the wires will no doubt be cut, and orders for horses will be delayed in transmission. This is a question which I hope the noble Earl will consider. I do not think any of our Questions to-day on the subject of training, or with regard to mobilisation, are at all unfair. The statements which have been made in both Houses of Parliament have shown that Yeomanry officers have done their best as far as their units go to become as efficient as possible, that hard and good work has been put in; and I think it is a fair request that we should ask the War Office to so far help us that we may not only be efficient in ourselves but become an efficient engine in war, and that we certainly cannot be until our staff is put in a proper position, until our senior officers are trained, until our men are given full opportunity of being able to shoot well, and until our horses, equipment, and stores are put on such a footing as to be on hand at once.
§ EARL SPENCERMy Lords, I should like to support the views of the noble Lord who has just sat down on two points. The first point is with regard to a school of musketry. I appreciate very much the importance of the school at Hythe. That school, even if others were established, would always be the most important school; but I do not see 831 that the value of Hythe would be depreciated if other schools were formed in different parts of the country. I feel very strongly on this subject, for if these schools were established they would give facilities for Yeomanry officers to go through a musketry course. No doubt, as the noble Earl said, those who live near Hythe do not attend more than those who live at a distance, but I do not think that is a solid argument. Common sense indicates that if there were more schools of musketry in various parts of the country it would be a very great advantage to the Auxiliary Forces generally. This is a very important matter. We all know that attention has been called to the necessity of greater efficiency in rifle-shooting, and if these additional schools of musketry are not established I think it will be a very great mistake.
I heartily agree with Lord Lovat as to the extremely unsatisfactory nature of the Answer given by the noble Earl with regard to the horsing of the Yeomanry. If you leave the getting of horses for the Yeomanry in an emergency to the Remount Department, it will be doing the same thing which the Duke of Bedford spoke of with regard to the Militia—destroying the local interest in the force. I feel convinced that the colonels of these regiments would be very much more able to find the horses than a central authority. The noble Earl said that when mobilisation was about to take place the Government would practically have their hand on nearly every horse. I do not exactly understand that. I am quite aware that in old days certain horses were at the call of the Government, but I do not know in what way they have a hold on private property. I feel that it would be very much better to use the local knowledge of the Yeomanry officers and those interested rather than leave this entirely, as is proposed, to the central Remount Department.
§ LORD WENLOCKHas the noble Earl the Under-Secretary any objection to acceding to my Motion for Papers.
§ LORD WENLOCKI heard with astonishment that in the event of sudden emergency remount agents were to go about the country buying horses. I do not think it would be possible for any one regiment to be horsed by remount agents under a week or ten days; and, judging by what happened when the remount agents went round my part of Yorkshire during the South African War, all I can say is, "God help us if we are to have that class of animal landed on us." It was commonly stated by the farmers in the neighbourhood that after the remount agents had been there, there was not a bad horse left in the whole county. With regard to this question of providing horses, I should be very glad if the noble Earl could produce any Papers on the subject to show how it has been dealt with.
*LORD HARRISI am under an obligation at this moment to mobilise on the second day after receiving orders. Perhaps the noble Earl will explain how the horses are to arrive by then?
THE EARL OF DONOUGHMOREThe point I attempted to make clear was this. Long before war breaks out it is perfectly obvious that the Remount Department will set to work buying horses, and we shall have large depôts all over the country. That is under the present remount scheme, which has been published. I think your Lordships would find that we should have probably bought all the Yeomanry horses long before the Yeomanry were called out, and therefore we should have enormous stocks of horses on hand and should be able to horse these regiments more quickly than the colonels themselves.
§ THE LORD CHANCELLOR (The Earl of HALSBURY)Do I understand the noble Earl to agree to produce the Papers moved for?
§ On Question, Motion agreed to; and ordered accordingly.