WAR OFFICE BUNGLING.

Gisborne Times, Volume V, Issue 56, 7 March 1901, Page 1

WAR OFFICE BUNGLING.

ON THE DEFENCE

By Telegraph—Press Association— Copyright London, March 5. In the House of Lords the Duke of Bedford complained of the army system, which, he said, deprived the Commander-in-Cbief of real responsibility. Lord Raglan defended Lord Wolseley in a carefully-prepared speech, which lasted an hour. He advocated professional control of the army, and rehabilitation of the office of Com-mander-in-Ohief. The only exceptions among the nations’ rule that soldiers should control the army were China, which was a bad example, and Great Britain. He had for the five was Commander honestly tried the present system, and found it wanting. He could show that the need of efficiency in the army had been subordinated to a wish to produce a low budget. The virtual command had been transferred to a civilian Secretary of State The Commander could suggest, recommend, and exhort, but do nothing beyond. He had often boon sick at heart at seeing national risks deliberately accepted by the Government, because it was afraid to ask for money. Had the annual demands of the Commanders in the last 15 years been published, with the reasons for the demands, the taxpayer would have been enabled to judge between the experts and economists, and would have insisted on compliance with those demands. They would th us have escaped many terrible risks. Lord Lansdowne, replying, despite a suavity of manner and courtesy equal to that of Lord Wolseley, startled the House. He stated that the present system was better than one which Lord Harrington’s commission so emphatically condemned. The failures in South Africa were not due to the system, but to not giving the system full effect. Lord Wolseley initiated the proposals concerning different departments of tho War Office, but only fitfully, when the spirit moved him. The auxiliary forces had been neglected. Had Lord Wolseley more fully realised the immensely important duties assigned him by Order-in - Council, requiring him to prepare schemes of offensive and defensive operations, duties wherefor he alone was responsible, he might have told them before the war that La dygmith was* not a very suitable military station. He might even have warned them to take more than one army corps to subjugate the Republics. The debate was adjourned.

In his speech Lord Lansdowne said that when Lord Wolseley resigned he memorialised the Premier on the score of his inadequate powers as Com-mander-in-Chief, but the memorial did not mention the fact that he was responsible for the direct control and mobilisation of the army, foj) utilising the volunteer forces, and for the Intelligence Department.