LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1770, 7 June 1913, Page 6

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

THE PRESS PERSON IN CAMP. Sir.—l am afraid that "Gyro," in weaving a cap for himself out of tho very insufficient materials furnished by my letter, has entirely missed tho point of my remarks, for his defcnco may be l'airly landed within tho scope of tho French maxim "Qui s'oxcuso s'accuse." His statement that Germany is tho only enemy wo have on laud is a very questionable ono. I myself am of opinion that in tho next war in which Great Britain will bo engaged, Germany will 1m found in closo alliance with her, but that, of course, is only the opinion of ono whom "Gyro" is pleased to refer to somewhat contemptuously as an ex-volunteer officer, and need not bo laboured here. I must, however, tell "Gyro" that so far from feeling humbled by liis having written mo down as an "ex-volunteer officer," I talco pride in the fact that, although now retired for ago, I may still take rank with mon who are learning to protect thoso nearest and ' dearest to them against rapino. If "Gyro" persist* in his idea that the uso of tho term "rapino" is sensational, let mo substitute for it "tho horrors of war."

"Gyro" docs the Press a great injustice when ho classes all it's representatives as "reporters." 'l'lioro aro tho skilled reporters, wliose sense of propriety gains for them the respect of every, one they moot, but therearo the fledglings, whoso sense of proportion is still in the embryo stage. I object to any obviously immature fledgling being entrusted with tho important duty of acting as a military correspondent. I am sorry that "Gyro" docs not agree with mo in tho opinion I exprossed (it must havo been several years ago, for 1 havo forgotten the incident), on Sir lan Hamilton's book, which "Gyro" now doscribes as "a book of personal and social gossip, with some considerable referenco to eiglith-rato matters in minor tactics," and says that in it "nearly everything that a haTd student of military science might want to know was missing." It is, of oourso, possible that, lilco many other great masters, Sir lan. Hamilton, when writing his book, left many things to tho intelligence of the student, but -t is interesting to see how great authorities may differ on such a siinplo question as tho merits of a book. I havo quoted "Gyro's" opinion; lot mo now quote from the Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Editiion :» Article, Russo-Japanese. War— "The first place in the already numerous works on the war is by tho general consent of military Europo awarded to Sir I. S. M. Hamilton's Scrap Book, and tlio second to tho reports of the British' attaches." This, however, is by tlio way, and I would ask "Gyro," should ho wish to discuss my original proposition any further, to confine "himself to tho principles involved, and avoid matter obviously personal.—l am, etc., A. do B. BRANDON. Wellington, Juno 6, 1913.