Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1913.djvu/369

 DEFENCE

247

Defence.

The Militia Act of 1904 placed the Canadian land forces under a Militia Council, with the Minister of Militia and Defence as president ; it further includes a civil member, four military members, and a finance member. There is also an Inspector-General whose duty it is to inspect the forces, and to report to the Minister of Militia and Defence in Council on their readiness for war.

The Canadian land forces are divided into the 'Active Militia' and the 'Reserve Militia.' The country is divided into 6 divisional areas and 3 military districts.

The active militia is raised by voluntarily three-year enlistments ; but it can also be compulsorily recruited, should the necessity arise, by ballot. It consists of a 'permanent force,' and of a non-permanent force composed of various corps which are classified either as ' city ' or as ' rural. '

The permanent force consists of a small number of permanently embodied units, viz., 4 squadrons, 2 batteries, 1 regiment of garrison artillery, 5 com- jianies of engineers, and a battalion of infantry. It provides personnel for the various schools of military instruction, and it furnishes the garrisons of fortresses with that permanent element which is necessary for defence, for the maintenance of works, and for the preservation of armaments.

The non-permanent part of the active militia comprises 27 regiments of mounted troops, 26 field batteries, 6 regiments of garrison artillery (including 13 heavy batteries), a corps of guides, 5 field companies of engineers, and 106 regiments (battalions) of infantry. The period for annual training for city and rural corps varies, according to arms and branches of the service, from 12 to 16 days. Rural corps perform the v/hole of their training in camp ; city corps can be trained partly in camp and partly at their own headquarters ; and a proportion of the oflicers are trained at the Royal Military College at Kingston.

In 1912, the establishment of the active militia was as follows : —

Anns and branches of the service

Permanent Force

Remainder of the Active Militia

Personnel

Horses

Personnel

Horses

Cavalry and Mounted Rifles ....

Field Artillery

Garrison Artillery

Engineers. .

Infantry

Non-combatant Cortis .....

369 289 793 304 1,044 699

264

267

62

5

12

86

12,010 4,128 2,396 2,109

40,561 7,010

9,775 2,742

760 1,191

590 2,736

Total ....

3,498

696

68,214

17,794

In addition to the active militia, numerous cadet corps and rifle associa- tions are in existence.

The reserve militia remains unorganised. It comprises all male inhabi- tants who are British subjects, between 18 and 60 years of age, and not exempt or disqualified by law. It is divided into four classes which (except in the case of a lev6e en masse) would be called out for service in succession — fir?!t, unmarried men and widowers (without children) between 18 and 30 years of age ; secondly, unmarried men and widowers (without children) between 30 and 45 ; thirdly, married m.en and widowers (with children) between 18 and 45 : fourthly, all men between 45 and 60. ^ Schemes for a Canadian Navy have been mooted but arp at present some-