rief one, but no one
who has ever had the honor to preside over that department can possibly
exaggerate the degree of efficiency to which it has been brought under
the administration of recent years. Everything, as the experience of
this war has shown, was foreseen and provided for in advance with the
single exception of the necessity of this enormous increase in our
regular forces.

Steps for Dealing with Recruits.

What provision has been made for dealing with this influx of recruits?
In the first place, and I think very wisely, my noble friend the
Secretary of State for War appealed for the assistance of the county
associations, which rendered such great and patriotic services in
connection with the territorial forces. The great bulk of these county
associations have responded to the call and enormously facilitated the
work of providing for this large body of new recruits. Next, he, in
conjunction with his advisers, has largely multiplied, and is continuing
to multiply, the various training centres. There has been--unfortunately,
no one can deny that there has been--a congestion of men ready and
willing to recruit and actually enlisting at particular places which
has produced, for the moment at any rate, a certain amount of
discomfort and a certain amount of difficulty in the provision of food
and all the other requirements of such a body. But in that connection I
should like, although I think the difficulty is now being almost got
over, to make an appeal strongly to local authorities--county councils,
town councils, urban and rural district councils--that when a situation
of this kind arises in consequence of a national necessity they should
show themselves--and I am sure they are most willing to do so--not only
zealous, but able to provide accommodation for the moment in the public
buildings which are under their charge. I think a great deal of the
congestion which has taken place could have been avoided if more
liberal use had been made, and could be made--I am not reproaching any
one: the circumstances were exceptional and the pressure very great on
our public buildings, our town halls, schools, and the other edifices
which are under the control of municipal and county authorities for the
purpose, at any rate at the moment, of relieving the great pressure of
recruiting, and I am quite sure that appeal will not go unheeded. But
we recognize fully, and no one more fully than my noble friend Lord
Kitchener, the ne