THE INFLUENCE OF WOMEN IN ARMY APPOINTMENTS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXIII, Issue 46, 6 March 1901, Page 4

THE INFLUENCE OF WOMEN IN ARMY APPOINTMENTS.

That promotion in the army haa for many ye*rs p;st bem Wgaly controlled by certain •• smart" society laoir.s ia now a matter of common knowkdge. One would have thought, however, that the recent agitation against War Office abuses would have given Cilnße to these Delilahs who have thorn the BntHh giant of so a.uch of his strength. As a matter of fact, tb>y seem to be as mischievously pertinacious 88 ever. Here is au illustration : A youn officer, recently return*d- from the front* applied fcr a certain appointment oa the stag. His olaime were undoubted, for, although not much over thirty, he has seen a great deal of terviee and pcssesees no lags than righo medals. In short, he has nnde soldiering a profession, and nos a past : me. A certain general whom he saw at the War Office praotically promised lim the appointment. Yet a few days later it was given to tn orna-; meatal Guardsman, who has nsver Mat It powder, and who only qualification for the pott ii the fact that he m a goasin of the lady who openly boasis that the geceral referred to is her humble and obedient servant. Thus does promotion, like kissing, go by f ivor, and the prudent saldier looks for advancement, net to the field of battle, but to my lady's chamber. The whole army are auxious to ees what Lord Roberts will do to put down this pe'.iicoat control of theWsr Offioe. I have heard same officers say that he will be powerless to stimp it out. Other?, to >, io mssD be confessed, aver that " Bobs " himself, from overkindlinecs of heart, is too susceptible to the insidious influence if charming Booiety ladies who have husbands, brothers, cousins, and sweethearts whose interests they desire to further. These critics point to the compoutioa of Lord Roberts's staff, which constated very largely of soble lords, as an illustration of what they mean. Roberts, they say, had the chance to call round him the finest stall a gtneral ever possessed, but owing to society pressure he good-naturedly ■addled himself with a mob of useless arißtocrate. The result wta that he bad to do most cf the stiffs work himself. Hence the "Tommys." retort to the Boer prisoner who piously remarked that the Lo:d was on Krnger's side: " Bon'fc ta'k to me abeut lordß. 'Bobs' has goti twenty bloomia' lo'ds en 'is staff 1" Personally, Ido not belkve that our idolistd " little mai" is weak or toolith enough to hamper his work of army reform by allowing society women to continue to control the War Office Still, the as whe fear that he will scmitimcs find it d lficu t to s»y "No" to the importunate fircas hava a right to be hsard j and. ts tb* Free Lance takes rride in givicg all sides s fair hsarirg, I do Bot L-fsitatc to prirt the opin'ons quoted above, which, I know, are held by a large proportion of officers in army. —j Okment Scott, in the Free lance. \