§ LORD LAMINGTON rose to ask His Majesty's Government whether, in view of the unsatisfactory answer previously given, it is still intended that 2nd Line Yeomanry regiments composed of men who have taken the Imperial Service obligation are to be kept for home defence.
§ The noble Lord said: These 2nd Line Yeomanry regiments are composed of men many of whom have had a year and a-half's training, and they have been rather grievously treated. First they were not given horses, and then they were given a superabundance of horses, which interfered with their training; and they have been 713 inadequately trained in many ways. These men enlisted for foreign service, but they are being kept for home defence. They say they want to go abroad "on their hands and knees" if only they can get there. Instead, they are relegated to home defence. My own opinion is that after the naval battle off Jutland it is very unlikely that there will be any attempted raid on these shores for many months to come. These men feel that they are frittering away their time at home after undergoing training. Week by week, every day almost, men are returning from abroad who have been wounded, perhaps more than once. Many of these men are ready to do their duty to their country, but do not wish to go abroad again. They have gone through the great stress of modern war, and though they may be reluctant to go abroad again they would be willing to do their duty to their country at home. Why not form, corps or regiments of these men for home defence? Give them six months' or a year's rest at home, and allow the men of 2nd Line Yeomanry regiments who enlisted with the definite object of serving oversea to go abroad. I can assure the noble Earl that these men feel bitterly their present position.
§ THE EARL OF DERBYCertain 2nd Line Yeomanry regiments have already been allotted to Divisions proceeding oversea as Divisional Cavalry, but other 2nd Line Yeomanry regiments must be kept at present for home defence, although circum stances may alter which may enable them to go abroad. I am afraid I cannot in any way agree with the noble Lord's proposal, which seems to me a very curious one, that we should take individuals as they come back from the Front—
§ LORD LAMINGTONNot, individuals necessarily.
§ THE EARL OF DERBYThe noble Lord said individuals. He said men who came back invalided from the Front. You do not invalid regiments from the Front, but individuals. To take them and put them into an unorganised unit would seem to me to be a very poor substitute for 2nd Line Yeomanry regiments. At the present moment the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief at home requires these regiments, and I think that as long as he requires them it will be impossible for any influence other than military to take them away from him. We must give him all the men that he 714 requires. In saying that, I do not mean in the least that I do not sympathise with the 2nd Line Territorial regiments, who are only too anxious, as I know, to go abroad; but it is again a question of the Army as a whole and the defence of the country as a whole, and as long as the military opinion is, as it is at the present moment, that it is indispensable to keep these 2nd Line Yeomanry regiments at home, I am afraid I can hold out no hope to the noble Earl that there will be any alteration in the present arrangement.
§ LORD LAMINGTONI was glad to hear the noble Earl say "at present." That will give these men some hope of being employed oversea at some time.
§ THE EARL OF DERBYAny troops that can be spared and can be sent abroad will undoubtedly be so sent.