NOTES ON THE WAR NEWS

Evening Post, Volume CXXXII, Issue 123, 20 November 1941, Page 10

NOTES ON THE WAR NEWS

BRITISH ARMY

NEW HIGH COMMAND

MEANING OF CHANGES

The changes in the High Command of the British Army, announced in today's news, arts doubtless not merely the' .automatic consequence of seniority promotion to fill vacancies left by retirements on age limits, but may be taken to represent a desire on the part of Government and country for a more active military policy. This calls for fresh and younger blood in the High Com-, mand with a greater practical knowledge of modern warfare. The British Army has undergone many changes in the past ten years, mainly^ in the direction of mechanisation and modernisation, and since the outbreak of war the High Command itself has been altered radically in personnel. After the collapse of France I Lord Ironside, Chief of the Imperial General Staff, was superseded by Sir John Dill, and Lord Gort, Commander-in-Chief of the British Expeditionary Force in France, shortly after his return to Britain, was given a- new post. The policy of, retirement at an earlier age had been introduced prior to the war, the retiring age for generals and lieu-tenant-generals being reduced from 67 to 60 years, save in exceptional cases. The principle was set out in a memorandum by Captain Liddell Hart, jwho in the prelude to the war had I great influence with the Ministers, Mr. Duff Cooper and later Mr. Hore Belisha: The numerical tally of years Is, of course, not an infallible gauge of a commander's state of physical and mental activity. Many a man in the late fifties is less "set" than others who are still in thj forties. It is thus desirable, that any system of promotion should have ' flexibility, and be able to provide room for exceptions to the normal rule. It ought to allow the appointment of able men of sustained vigour whose opportunity has come late owing to cirr cumstances outside their control, as well as the appointment to positions beyond their age of some who have matured earlier than the average and whose promise might be marred by keeping them in a grade where . their powers do not find .proper scope. .'•,'„ Reforming' the Army. . The application of these principles is, of. course, far more important ■'in wartime tha.n in peace. It is essential for the successful conduct of the war to have the right men in the right place as quickly as possible. • In this particular function the British Army has rarely succeeded as well as the Navy, and, later, the Air Force. Great soldierstare, of course, born, not made, and Britain has not in her history produced many military geniuses of the first order. The British Army, has not j often offered what Napoleon, described as a "career open to the talents." It has always shown a certain ' repugnance to newsmen with new ideas. In recent years, however.' there Haye- r been many welcome signs of "a change■ for the better, and the new appointments, welcomed by the majority of the British Press, seem to show the determination of the authorities to make the best use of available material. Greece and Crete. No reason beyond the fact that he has reached the age limit of 60 is given for the retirement of Sir John Dill, but it may be partly due to his association with the unfortunate campaigns in Greece and Crete this year, and their equally unfortunate effect on our hold" on Cyrenaica. It will be recalled that Sir John Dill accompanied Mr. Eden on his mission to the Middle East prior to the opening of the campaign in Greece. Whatever-may be said of the Greek campaign, the failure to fortify Crete in the six months the British were there was a bad military blunder, which had repercussions on the whole course of the war. Following that has been the comparative inactivity of the large army in Britain, while Russia was subjected to the whole force of the German military machine. It may be that the appointment of. General Sir Alan Brooke. with his practical experience in Flanders of German army methods, augurs a change of policy. Time alone can show. Sir Henry Pownall. whose new post is to be announced later, served ss Chief of the General Staff under Lord Gort in France. MajorGeneral Nye is regarded as a master of strategy, much needed at the present juncture. Finally, it should be noted that in going to India as Gov-ex-nor of Bombay Field-Marshal Dill will be available for consultation by General WaveH. if necessary, so that his military ability and experience will not be lost.