'Russia and India in 1903' [‎20r] (41/68)

VOLUNTEERS IN INDIA.
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e first is
the want of adequate Government support. 1 Volun
teering should not be attended by any expense to
individuals so far as military training is concerned.
And yet last year we find that the contribution of the
State towards the expenses of camps was only if lakhs One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees ,
leaving more than an equal sum (,£13,000) to be paid
by corps. One-third also of the expenses attendant
upon field days had also to be paid by the men,
involving in many cases an expenditure of one rupee
by each individual, for the privilege of attending a
field day or ceremonial parade. There are also diffi
culties attending ranges and drill-halls. But the main
and principal obstacle lies in the mixture of races. It
has been truly said :
“ A composite corps composed of Europeans and
natives is not likely to prove a success either in peace
or war. In the case of Volunteers it is very likely
to happen that the Europeans resign and the corps
becomes a native Volunteer corps. The result is
that natives are being armed and trained, while the
Europeans are unarmed and untrained.”
The remedy for this is that while affording the loyal
native classes, and more particularly “ the landed
gentry and their sons, and men of local influence and
property,” every opportunity to join either native
Yeomanry or Volunteers, no European should be able
to plead lack of opportunity or want of means to do
his obvious duty. But in giving not only extra
countenance and support to Volunteering, but also
marking displeasure at the failure of an individual to
serve, whenever an appointment or favour is in question,
the Government should take advantage of the oppor
tunity to do away with one or two vicious practices long
since discarded in Great Britain, such as the election
1 General Sir Edwin Collen, lately Military Member of Council,
strongly endorses this view. He writes, in The Empire Review,
“ Money should be more freely spent in promoting the efficiency
and development of the Volunteer force in India.”
c 2