MILITARY COMMISSION.

Gisborne Times, Volume X, Issue 980, 28 August 1903, Page 2

MILITARY COMMISSION.

REFORM OF THE SYSTEM ADVISED, By. Telegraph—Press Association-* Copyright.) LONDON, August 26. Lord Elgin’s Commission’s report lias been published. The Commissioners disclaim having Ween instructed to deal with the whole military system in detail, or to submit an elaborate scheme ot army reorganisation. Their duty was confined to recommendations regarding inefficiency or defects in tho army administration, as disclosed, by the war, and to indicate Mho cause.

Ilenco the recommendations are incidentally scattered through the report, hut by withholding definite proposals the Commissioners had succeeded in giving absolute unanimity of findings, expressing their unanimity in the strongest terms, and leaving the Government to find a remedy. Similarly, the strategical and tactical lessons ol tho war were left to tho'military authorities. The report deals with the appalling state of unpreparedness, and indicates that the Intelligence Department obtained fairly accurate information as to the Boer strength, armament, and disposition of forces. It (juotes memoranda hitherto regarded as confidential by Lieutenant Colonel Altham in 1896. and 1898, and Sir John Arda/gli, of the Intelligence Department, in 1897, warning the Government of the imminence of danger from the grow ngi, Boer hostility, and their preparations, •but the Government and their: military advisers formed an inadqqjuate conception o r the reinforcements required ijifthe eivenb oi, war. Colonel Altham, in 1896, reported that the Boer States liad designs on Natal, and that we should decide on strategical points,. He) reported in 1898 the Boer warlike .movements, and that the situation demanded that troops should he ready to mob.— ilise quickly. At present, lie said, there woule ho much delay in mobilising. Colonial defence schemes should he prepared and instructions given to the general commanding in South Africa in the event ol an outbreak of war. Mr Chamberlain, in 1897 and 1898, repeatedly urged the War Office to prepare. He directed attention to the humiliation and increased ex pense il they failed. Lord Wolseley in 1896 urged the retention of a considerable field force in South Africa, on the broad grounds of Imperial strategy and ado,q/uate training. He urged vigorous measures in the summer of 1899. Lord Lansdowno informed the Commissioners that Colonel Al-_ tham’s memoranda was never off!*' cially communicated to him. Til? oasis of any proposals came through the regular channel, namely, the Commander.in-Chief. The report describes as extraordinary the fact that Lord Lansdowne’s attention was first directed to War Office papers by Mr ChainWrlain. Under such circumstances it was not remarkable that no plan of campaign was arranged, and nothing thought out. Reinforcements and stores were limited for political reasons, although the strength of the garrison at the outbreak was as large as the military advised, but the Commission were unable to say that the .Cabinet in estimating, admitting the risks oi policy, gave due discrimination to the knowledge that the Boers-' were organising ior war. They are not satisfied that enough wa being now done to improve matters in tho event of another emergency. The lesson of the war was that no military is satisfactory unless it obtains powers of expansion outside the limit of the regular forces.

Tho report eulogises the auxiliary forces and the colonials. The tendency of the report is towards reconstructing the War Office on the lines of the Board of Admiralty, amd the abolition of tbo Commander-in-Chief's post. Lord Esher, in a note, suggests this a 3 the basiß of recommendation. Lord Esher is supported by Sir George TaubmanGoldie, and Sir John Jackson. The Times says the Elgin Commission report is the most important since tho report of the enquiry into the conduct of the operations under the Grimes Act. The Commission suggests the appointment of highly trained and experienced officers to train colonial troops.

MR CHAMBERLAIN’S WARNING. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright Received 10.49 p.m., Aug. 27. London, Aug. 27. Mr Chamberlain’s letter to Lord Lansdowns of May sth, 1898, stated that it was probable the Transvaal would seize a favorable opportunity if Great Britain were involved in difficulties elsewhere to assume a suddenly hostile attitude. Firmness and readiness at the outset were greatly required in order to diminish the number of disloyal colonists, who might be tempted owing to racial sympathies to join their kinsmen over the border.