A HIGH MILITARY COMMAND.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLI, Issue 9250, 29 June 1910, Page 3

A HIGH MILITARY COMMAND.

' INSPECTOR-GENERAL OF OVERSEAS FORCES. THE EMPIRE'S DEFENCE. (Br Elegtbio Telegbaph—Copibiqht., (Pee Pbess Association. 1 l ' LONDON, June -28. In the House of Commons, while discussing the .estimates, Right Hon. Geo: Wyndham said the Mediterranean Command might bring a prominent soldier into delicate relations with the British representative in Egypt and representatives of the self-governing Dominions. Mr Haldane, Secretary of State for War, declared that the representatives of the Dominions at the conference held in August agreed to endeavour to fashion the armies of the Empire upon a single pattern. An Inspector-General of Overseas Forces was. now required, as MajorGeneral French was much overworked. General Sir lan Hamilton was not only a soldier of great distinction, but had commanded the Canadians, Australians, and New Zealanders in the field. _ In the event of war, General Hamilton would be empowered to co-ordinate the strategy necessary along the great military highway joining East and West. Hence Malta would be his headquarters for two or three months, but _he would sit on the Defence Committee in London during the rest of the year. His salary would be £5000 a year. Continuing, Mr Haldane said the' desire for the compulsory training of the British second line of defence was based on a strategic misconception. It was impossible 'for an army of more than seventy thousand men to evade the fleet, and there were six hundred thousand men to oppose them. If an expeditionary force were away, three hundred thousand would still b" left to defend Britain. He estimated nhat five hundred thousand horses out of the million and six hundred thousand in Britain were useful for Army purposes. Half a million would be sufficient for mobilisation and wastage. Ho added "that Lord Carrington was formulating a scheme where-! by three-year-olds bred from registered mares and stallions "would be purchased from farmers at £30 apiece. Mr Lee declared that the Government had made a good ease for the InspectorGeneral of the Overseas Forces, _ but it was impossible to combine it with the Mediterranean The Inspector's duties would require his whole time.