THE ARMY REORGANISATION.

Greymouth Evening Star, Volume XXXI, 18 May 1901, Page 3

THE ARMY REORGANISATION.

{by klbctric telegraph—copyright)

[Pee Peess Association.]

Received this day at 8 56 a m. London', May 17,

In the House of Commons during the debate on the Army re-organisation, Asquith characterised the scheme as a retrograde effort which destroyed the foundation of Cardwell’s Reform, and treated the Home defence as a military rather than a naval question.

Broderick was justified in the policy of decentralisation ■ and consolidating 16 commands into six, and producing mnits which were not too large, and vwhich would be administratively _ independent of the War Office. Next in importance to the , delegation of authority and re-organisation of units came the work of improved training for them, reformed in medical service, transport, and War Office itself. (Cheers.) He solicited a vote in favor of a spirit scheme which was referred to as a skeleton clothable with flesh and blood according to needs. Recruiting had since last year fully met the requirements of the service and had yielded 16,000 men apart from 25,000 which was raised for special emergency corps. Ho pointed out that the inquiry revealed the impreparedness of the army in 1885 when Gladstone challenged Russia.

In summing up in debate on army reorganisation, Balfour recalled the fact that at one oritical moment during 18901900 there were only three hundred (?) rounds of small arms ammunition and no .adequate reserve artillery ammunition in this country. He would never forget the strain.

The press is indignant over this admission of Balfours’,

The Rosebery Government was expelled because the normal supply of 142 millions of small arms and ammunition had sunk to 93 millions. The present Government had increased it to 175 millions, nevertheless under war pressure it was almost exhausted though the public and private factories made a tremendous effort.