CONTROL OVER FORCES

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 2, Issue 169, 5 June 1940, Page 2

CONTROL OVER FORCES

i THE BRITISH SYSTEM I DETAILS OF MILITARY COMMAND AIR FORCE A SEPARATE ENTITY The changes in the British High Command published last wee!; should not Jie regarded as in any way a "purge"; they are rather readjustments to get the right men in the right places to meet anv emergencies that may develop. The danger to Britain herself demands the choice of an able fighting general of the first order like Sir Edmund Ironside. The new Chief of the Imperial General Staff, General Sir John Dill, will hav.e duties comparable to those of General Weygand in France, though it shoulud be stated that the military hierarchies of Britain and France do not correspond in many respects. The French for instance, usually do npt accord the rank of general to any but the commanders of armies—first, second, third army, etc.—whereas under the British system there are generals in command of divisions and even of brigades. Tn the Great War this was sometimes a cause of friction, as n French colonel had often more men under his command and heavier responsibilities than a British general. No doubt these difficulties of procedence have been eased under the much closer liaison between the two nations and their armies , that exist to'-day and in the hour of danger to bothj Military Hierarchy. The British system is roughly this, as applied to the Army: At the head of all stands the Prime Minister—in this case, Mr Churchill, and his special War Cabinet of five. Under them is the Minister of War (Mr Anthony Eden). The War Cabinet, in consultation with its experts lays down general policy, covering the whole situation, at home and abroad, at sea, on land, and in the air. The Minister of War and the War Office deal with matters concerning the Army; the Firs* Lord of the Admiralty and the Admiralty itself with the Navy and sea affairs; the Air Minister and his Department with whatever con cerns the air arm. The Chief of the Imperial General Staff—Sir John Dill in this ;;ase—has the peculiar responsibility of adviser to the Government, represented ny the War Cabinet, 1 on all matters affecting the military policy of the British Empire and in this capacity he cannot bo represented at General Headquarters in the field. There is therefore a Chief of the General Staff at these headquarters. Sir John Dill as; C.T.G.S. is over the generals in the separate largfc commands, ineluding Lord Gort and General Ironside, under whom are the generals with local or divisional commands. Air Force on its Own. Tn one important respect the Bri-, tisli .system differs from the German and most others. This ill the separation of the Air Force from the Armj r and the Navy as a separate unit of defence. The air forces of the great Powers, except Britain, France and Italy, are an integral pYirt of the army, and are administered as an arm of the service and not a separate service. In the British Air Force the work of the staff is controlled by three principal staff officers, dealing rc spcctivel3 r Avith air, personnel and equipment. Each of these officers has the right of direct access to tlie commander, the co-ordination of their work being vested in the senior air stall officers. That is how the system was described by General Paget some years ago, but there may have been important changes. The separation of the }Air Force was hotly criticised, but the events of the past fortnight in which the R.A.F. and the French Air Force have saved the situation speak for themselves.