THE BRITISH WAR OFFICE.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLII, Issue 7381, 6 February 1902, Page 4

THE BRITISH WAR OFFICE.

AN UNFORTUNATE DEADLOCK.

(Per 'Frisco Mail Steamer at Auckland.)

London, January 11.

The British War Office is confronted with a most serious condition of affairs. Its call for volunteers to relieve the regiments at the front, thus far having absolutely no response, has served to intensify the widespread indignation existing amongst all the volunteer regiments.

In the first place, the volunteers answering to the calls would only receive Is per day, while the Yeomanry, io. which many volunteers have already enlisted, receive ss. The only solution of the deadlock appears to be for the War Office to introduce conscription, or withdraw the new regulations. These have stirred strife which has not existed for many a year between the Government officials, and the voluntary arm of the service, according to the high officials, will be bankrupt in the majority of regiments.

According to the new rules every regiment must go into camp one week in each year ; the Government grant is reduced in proportion to the number of absentees in each company of volunteers, and commanders say it is impossible to get more than 40 per cent, of the men together in the same week, so different are the occupations of the men. In addition, the War Office refuses to recognise drills which are not attended by the percentage of men (50), which it has been found quite impossible to attain. It imposes battalion parades of such strength that no drill hall or ground in London is large enough to enable the battalions to manoeuvre in.

Among those who condemn the new regulations is Colonel Balfour, brother of the Cabinet Minister, who commands the London Scots.

The matter will be brought under the attention of Parliament if the order of War Secretary Brodrick is not amended. The volunteer force, so says a colonel of one of the strongest London regiments, will dwindle down to nothing. In the meantime the War Office are waiting anxiously for answers in South Africa.