REFORM OF THE ARMY.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXV, Issue 28, 2 February 1904, Page 5

REFORM OF THE ARMY.

w COUNCIL ESTABLISHED,

« 0 Conimander-in-Chief

Clonics to be Represented on Deieizee Committee.

LONDON, Fcrbvuary 1

,„ a c-cordanee with iho rccommcndaZoi Lore. Ksljer's Committee, whose 1 1 advoeatiii.o , drastic ehnnyvs. used niMMires ami new i.ieti." r,f:jvcrnment. wiln Kmi.' Edward'- apI has decided to establish an Army Punth/ilnes.f.h, Board of the jfci:, CJiincil i- to consist o1 lour soll J two civilian-, and the .Secretary vi jo- War. and ,vi(l bo euu.-luuted k letters patent. TlieConiinamlor-in-Chiel will be superby an Inspector-).citcmi I > be £ v iutlme of th, U.u Otliee. 11, .-'so a ma" IU tiu> saddle, whose duty (rilbo t.i inspect all Hip fortes under (I, Home Government's control, mi.! iv- „ systematically to the man at the %*{ namely, .he Secretary of State. eorinz that the Council s policy is be- ;."* correctly carried out. lie Committi'e proposes, and the Government intends to appoint, , S eretawat as the Defer)'- Committee's unclear-, to consider the r, i, - jion of defence, 'btain and collate niloiaation from thf -.-vera: dcpartm.-n.s. samish advice keep record- and ensure iontinuit; of policy. The report emphasises the vital necpjjitv of the Committees invariably havjuj tie Premier at its head. The nucleus ril consist of the secretary and a dozen ;ttU ior officials, represent ing the navy md army. India, and the self-gorern-inu colonies, as well as representatives of't'-p Foreign Otiicv. The newspapers eulopi-e tLip scheme. He fault heretofore, 'hey say. had been •jit. the army w organised with a iitiv almost exclusively to peace. '.'he First Inspector- Ganei-al. "Times' , Suggests Lord Roberts or Dufc of Connaugat. (Re?eived 5.3 a.m.) LONDON. February 1. Hie "Times" snys that under the new memo the Inspector-General' -v,\t\' will fonsist of Inspectors-General of Cavalry Artillery, and Infantry, respectively. The !iispectcr-G n neral is to be the chief umpire at manoeuvres., and president of the Selection Board, eoi jf General --Commanding.

Lard Roberts, the "Times" hold.-, is obviously designed for this position, but doubts whett. he enn he induced to nctfjii il. 0: it Inig.lt be ofi'trrd tn another Cbtinjroislied soldier, as for instance the Duke of (.onnnught. Kither of those, b:iy> the 'Times," would bo both popular md successful. The appointments should not be delayodIk "Daily Express"' mentions the Mc of Connatijht, whom Sir . OrenWl succeeds as Couunander-in-Chief in Ireland.