WAR OFFICE REORGANISATION.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 11806, 2 February 1904, Page 5

WAR OFFICE REORGANISATION.

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE-

DRASTIC CHANGES. ESTABLISHMENT OF AN ARMY COUNCIL.

United Prese Aawciation—By Electric Tel cgraph—Copyrigat. (Received February Ist, 10.30 p.m.) LONDON, February 1. In accordance with the recommendations of Lord Esher'a Committee, whose report advocating drastic changes, uses the phrase "2Ce\r nieusup-.s, m-vr men," the Government, with King Edward's approval, liavdecided to establish an Army Council on tha lines of the Hoard of Admiralty. A Council of four toldiers, tiro civilians, and the Secretary for War Trill be constituted by ktt?ra patent. The Commander-in-Cluef will be superseded by an InspectorGeneral outside of the War Office. He trill bo "a man in the saddle," whose duty it will bs to inspect all tha forc*as Tinder the Home Government's control, and report systematically to the "man in the chair," namely, tho Secretary of State, showing that tho Ootmcil'g policy is being correctly carried out. Tlio Committee proposes, and tho Government intends to appoint, a Secretariat as the D<if«nce Committee's permanent nucleus, to consider the question of dc-toice, obtain and collate information from the several departments, to furnish advice, keep records, and ensure continuity of policy. Tbe report emphasises the vita! necessity of tho Committee iurariably having the Premier ao it 3 head. The nucleus will consist of a secretory as doyen, and junior officials representing the navy, army, India, and the self-governing colonies, also foreign office representatives. The newspapers eulogise the scheme, and say that tho fault heretofore has been that tlie Government and army are organi&ed with a view exclusively to peace.