When we come to vote the financial provision under Vote 1 of the army
estimates, which is consequential upon the passing of Vote A, we make
provision not only for the 186,000 men already sanctioned for the
regular army, but also for the army reserve. In the subsequent Votes 3
and 4 provision is made for the special reserve and territorial force.
The army reserve and the special reserve are not called upon to serve
until, under regular constitutional machinery, consequent upon the
outbreak or imminence of war, they are summoned to do so. It may be
convenient to the committee to know that at the time when war broke out
and when the reserves were called to the colors the state of things was
this: Parliament had voted 186,000-odd men--call it roughly 200,000. The
army reserve and the special reserve then became available as part of
the regular forces of the country, amounting also roughly to another
200,000 men. That was altogether 400,000 men. On Aug. 6, after war had
been declared, I made a motion in committee which was assented to in
committee and by the House on report, for the addition of 500,000 men to
the regular forces. These 500,000 men, assuming them all to have been
raised, would, in addition to the 400,000 I have just mentioned, amount
to a total of 900,000 men.
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