IMPERIAL DEFENCE.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 439, 23 February 1909, Page 7

IMPERIAL DEFENCE.

ARMY ORGANISATION. ■- STATEMENT BY MR. HALDANE, .WHAT CANADA AND AUSTRALASIA' MIGHT DO. (Br TBLEEBiPn—PItESS ASSOCIATION—COPIEiaHT.) London, February 21. Tho Eight Hon. E. 'B. Haldano (Secretary of State for War), speaking at Newcastle, declared that Canada would bo easily able to add to tho Army five or six territorial divisions for her own defenco and the assistance of tho Empire >

; "Tho Times": says:—"ln :. an.-.'; emergency Australia 'might produce, five, New Zealand' one,' and South Africa four or .five' ..divisions, which;, .aided, byGreat;:; Britain's:- fourteen second line divisions.' and sixteen, first/ lino divisions, would give" the Empire the 'equivalent, of twenty-three afiny; corps." ..•; , ■-.'/' The Times" -.adds:—"Germany has .also twenty-threo : army corps. , ', 7. : .Iγ I .'' : ; v

:. ■;•'■ ; 1.23 a.m.)i' ; '{Jr ' ' : - Melbourne,-February I :23. ';'.'] " The , Minister for :Defence has, published an outline; of scheme-for'the creation of an Imperial general -staff;-.'-"- -;

; THE-GE^IERAL,STAFF/- ;; s ! The BritishVArmy Council .decided on ■August' •9, .1905,' to constitute al GeneraV • Staff,-of;. ihv, Army,:and was-.inadiS-.ldibwn im November o£- the same;: year' iby. MrV. Arnold' : Forster. , : On, September "12,;: 1906,iby.'Special Army Order,; instructions, for the organisation of : the General Staff Were; promulgated to: the 'Army,', .the; Order being: accompanied'>by'-an explanatory Memorandum from llr.'Haldahe.' TJnder, these rules: the General; Staff will; W organised in Vtwo principal at Army, headquarters ;and the: divisions :of the staff in different districts; The Staff.;at.Heftdquarters.is.'td,advise; on the strategio:distribution b£ the Army, to supervise tha of officers and the .training:, and preparation of the forces,.to; study sohemes of;operat!ons,;collect' and -collate;: military : ■■■direaf the general; polioy in Army, matters, and secure con-' tinuity'of';,action: , -libe; .General Staff'in ."coinmands and districts .is':to .assist^officerft':commanding in promoting: "eificiency, especially; in regard ■ to the.-' educatibn; of officers ■ and =th'o ; training of;the.;troops; : ;and, in 'carryirig out the policy; prescribed' byVArmy. headquartersi", V An appendix to the.'prder showed that there were , to be ; G7. ; staff-officers:l at :: beaili)uarters, : and-lli in. the : cominands..^Appointments, to the aro .to;.l^e;-.made. : .;from.ai special. list' "drawn up aad'periddically revised by. .the iArmy. .Councili' in. consultation},.with;;the .Selecttoh: Board and. with :the:;Cominander-in-Chief;.in : India. 'This '.list will-not be: published.-Gene-pr-the. Staif ■College :wiihbV .necessary,'and.eight years'.service;in the Ariby, 4 ' but: esceptions may be:made, in; special circuin'-: stances.. At Home .• and: in the colonies: appoint-; mentk.to. the General ;Staff ;are to:be made' from' the General-Staff-list.upon-': the advice of the .Chief: of ;the.Gen6ral:iSl^ffy;;Whi^jin ; ;lndiaSthe ;Co'mmander-in-Cbiefi; will; feakeV'.'tW'-appoiht-. ments., ■ A|l appointments l to 'the : staij..-win' be for four years, after which' an' : officer, if below ;the ; ranls..ofsubstantive, lieutenant. , co]one}; ; . ; will .return tp regimental: dutyylor/a'iperibcl 'of 'not .less.-vthai".- One•year.':An;.apppintraents' l on-the' : staff are to' be .probaticinary.-for; the first year.' "Approved service;, on this General: Staff. : is id be recognised 'by. accelerated ■ promotion in' the; f .°™ of brevet'.up ioi the rank^of -lieutenajit;' colonel, ■and ; ab ove' -that'srank'.■'■■b'y^ ; selection ; r'foi the rank of .'substantiye colonel. :■. It was' stated, in. Sir:;; Haldaiie's Mempraudum, that' the"'Gene-' ral Staff,will:be judged by■tbe:nien;'it prpduces,and,:■'■'.•from ■ schemeis; seen, to WesperimentaT and under , trial. The object, officers: likely to -prove; ioapable. of. f orrning"; a" 'school of"■ progressive military; thought;:,:/ : : '.■'■;■:■.':'-^;.:. ; ;

j; ; iXSENESISOF'TH E STAfF IDEA.- i •;;' V'-pE;3ffiHl^';CpjlMiSSipN. : .'-. In, 1904 an ;important' commisssonj".presided over i by Lord 'Eslieiv a' civilian, who' had \ given great• ntteritiqri. : to'^^the;'stujdy:--of ■■military 'oiri ganisation, and including' Sir Join ITisherand Sir, Georgo Clarlr (riavaland military "experts), as his, associate's;;.investigated, and.reported upon al.co'mpkto.scheme, for,^the,reorganisation of- the War Office.anclithe'.Army: ••',; Tlie: ' broad .feature, of \ the 'scheme : was •'-that- tlie '. inaval. organisation,"which" , .:had-'.beeiv: , con-,. iSpicuously vsuccessfuli, wais/kkeii■''is.'the -type'! .for- iha promulgation.of.the/military.organ-; isatioh._. Count, 1 Mpltke,was'able,'in'lß66; :aria! again, in 187(1; to for Prussian and. (Jonnanarmiesj.-because'ho and ■the general .staff were free" to apply J their minds ;wholly .to war. pre-,' paratibns,iroitfthe theorganisation. and:business administration' of /th'e'arniy in peace ■ were, kept entirely distinct'from .the service which ■was.;more; immediately"coni cerned;with the study ■of war.. problemsV: and. the/higher .training .'.of.-:the J staff '/and. the troops. This'was.thp'principle.recbmmende3■ by the Eslfer .Committee—the 'provision-"of abrain fbr'the army,',ia thei shapei-of 'a , general staff.; The: above, descriptiqh of the organisa- ! tion : of. the, generalistaff /embodies the prin-. ciple advocated by; the Esh'er.Committee.;:,lt' is.'Mr. Haldane's. desire; .that' -tliis} general, staff, whilo still'in its infancy,-so'to;.speak,: shall, partake, l as-far as .'possible,".";of ; an Im-, porial •character./' In order'.to work:'on, : a. common : pattern, 'itVis • neces'sarv, , , considers'Mr ; ; Haldaiie,' to. have a. common ■ conception,'•' which_ can; oulyr: be supplied- '.by'..-skilled advisers; and this is : whore the; general; Tistaff may:be : conveniently, , requisitioned./rTrained-. in a great.common schbol/.recrAiited'frqm.the most varying; parts ;of; the' ;15mpire, but.educated in .military "science , ; according to-com- ; mon ; principles, the'general staff officer would; bo at the disposal of the'local-government or commander-in-chief,.'whether;'he bo .Canadian', 'British; Australian, ; New. 'Zealandor,' 'or South African. ; The general'staff.is.a claes by itself' in the Army;•;-. it is so with.Hhe' Germans, the Japanese,; the Russians,"and the French,..it consists of'.-• highly■-.-trainedy.bffipcrs,/picked men,; recruited for ./'their. known': capacity,specially' trained,: ajid .'detailed; to. bo;, at .tne •elbow of the ..commanding(officer.;,the latter; , explains .-Mr.. Haldano,; would; be absolutely unfettered,, and ■: might .'accept', or disregard the.advice of his-general staff, officer. '.'Sup-; .posn,". says ;Mr.;Haldane,. : . ".we' , are/studying at homo, .ill.ith'e general staff, great .questions of Imperial. Defence| ; it">,would bo ■■'an' advantage; .to .the /Imperinl headquarters' gonoral; staff, and the colonial ■ general staff; if , , an. exchange 4 -of staff officers ; wero:. arranged.,'. It would 'be. simply broadening .tho basis of the general staff now.created. , '":::'.■:

:: 1. Study; of the.;,strategical -conditions of the Empire from, a., military, point of; view.This _. implies ..the obligation of: each; self-go- , - verning community.to provide, as; far as possible, for .its own local, security;. mutual assistance oil definite linos in cases of eupreme common'necessity; • maintenance of naval', supremacy. To these, ends:— ■-■;>i.- .'■■,',-". > ■ .; 7 (a) Organisation of -troops.Vfor. home, do-,' fence, to repel raids,\i;o., a territorial arriiv; (b)_ a striking or expeditionary (c) maintenance of a Navy equal to commanding the .sea. , '.. : '' .:!;'-; -r.J\: :'•■;:.*'[';. -["\'t .-,;':■'.• .■.•,■;■ ■. A 'uniform organisation .arid .nomenclatrire' patterns' and provision of,, equipments, and stores of the Imperial bvCTSea forces,' parts' of au Imperial whole, is; the; central -idea. ; ■ ;'." Our'-great object,". cbucludes r -"Mr. 'Hal-, dano, "is to -make' the .general stafi an Imperial school of military thought, "its : mem-' bors imbued with the same traditions, acous-. tomedto look at strategical probletas fromthe same point of view, and acquamied with tho theories and principles goneralTy-acoopted at headquarters. ■ , .:;. .; .'■:•■' vf; ■-'■■■'