Everyone was taken by surprise at the ature of the proposals which were simultaneously explained on Monday even-Lord Lansdowne in the House of Lords and Mr. Wyndham in the House of Commons. What we all expected was a statement of the Governments intent with regard to the war in the South Africa; what we got was a plan for the stre ranny at. homo a strengthening mainly for the purposes defence. Briefly summarised, the pro. posal of the Government is to add 30,000 men to our Regular Army, and 59,000 men to our Auxiliaries—Militia, Volunteers, and Yeomanry. This would bring up our armed forces at home, trained or under training, to rather more than 500,000. The additions fo the Reyular Army are to consist of fifteen battalions of infantry, thirty-six batteries of Royal Field Artillery, seven
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.