CRITICISING THE ARMY.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLV, Issue XLV, 7 November 1910, Page 6

CRITICISING THE ARMY.

* _____ LIEUT. SUTOK'S COMPLAINTS. A curious story was told by Lieutenant Sutor t!o the court-marital by -*hic'h he was ctfnvicted of persistentv condemning the administration of he British Army. When he entered he Army, he said, he had graduated xt a "university and had secured a ; -ood legal training. He had no prsate means, and intended to make a areer for himself, but he soon found hat there was nothing for him to 10. His work occupied him 20 miutes a day, and even thvn it was 'absolutely futile and inane." Lieuenant Sutor proceeded to express at ;*ngth his disapproval of the system f instruction in the Army. Wonie fficers, .he alleged,. mad 6 themselves ffieient by main force, but they had d do it themselves, and eificiencj too important a matter to be e*t to individual idiosyncrasy. In i s pamphlet he had criticised the deeffces of the Tyne. He believed that :he criticism might be made general mil that there was not a garrison in he whole of the British- possessions hat did not "re-present a state of candalous neglect." He proceeded o speak bitterly of the work of some "ghly-placed Army officers. "You an still get dirty work done in the \rmy if only you go near enough to he top," he said. The system was •not favourable to Kitcheners or oung ones. Officers gained distinc:on !>}* organising military pageants. :nd soldiers were trained to sing odes o peace. The lieutenant showed an :nderstanding of t'he seriousness of he step he had taken in making ittacks_upon the abilitv and the moives of his superior officers., but proest'ed vigorously against a suggesion that his mind was unhinged. ~ome of h-is remarks certainly showid an extraordinary lack of discretion In referring to the leaders of the Army he said: "Thank God some if them* are now abroad announcing -be death of King Edward VII." The illusion apparently was to no less a jerson than Lord Roberts.