WAR OFFICE REFORM.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 11854, 4 January 1902, Page 5 (Supplement)

WAR OFFICE REFORM.

DUTIES OF THE COMMANDER ■' CHIEF DEFINED.

An important Order-in-Couueil appeared in the London Gazette of November 6, defining the duties of the Commander-in-Chief and of the : heads; of the ; principal departments of the War Office. The Order-in-Council "of March 7, 1899, on:• the same subject' is revoked by,. the present order. ?..'-^-: : ■■,■■'■ The principal change made by the new regulations is the placing of .the AdjutantGeneral under the direct control of the Commander-in-Chief. Hitherto the Adju-tant-General's position lias been more or less co-ordinate with that of the Commander-in-Chief. The (duties of the Commander-in-Chief are thus described :-—,-' '.-.". > , " The Commander-in-Chief shall exercise general command over His Majesty's military forces at Home and abroad, shall issue ' Army Orders,' and, hold periodical: inspections of the troops. . " He shall be the principal adviser of the Secretary" of State on all military questions, and shalLJae charged with the control of the departments of 'the Adjutant-General, Di-rector-General of Mobilisation and Military Intelligence, and Military Secretary, and the general supervision of the other military departments of the War Office. • ' , . "He shall be - charged* with the general distribution of the army at Home and abroad, and with the selection and proposal '. to the Secretary of State ; for War of fio and proper persons to be recommended for commissions in the Regular forces and of fit and proper officers, whether of the Regular or auxiliary forces, for promotion, for staff and other military appointments, and for military honours.and, rewards. "In the absence of the Commander-in-Chief the senior officer of the Headquarter Staff, shall'act'for him." . Among the duties of the Adjutant-Gene-ral, who is thus brought under the Com-mander-in-Chiefs ';''■' control" instead of " supervision," are. the discipline, military education, and training of the officers and men, and " matters relating to the general efficiency of the army and the effective strength of its units." . In the case of the Quartermaster-General, the Inspector-General of Fortifications, the Director-General of Ordnance, and the Director-General of the Army '.Medical Department the word "supervision" is used in defining the ; Commander-in-Chiefs position in regard to them. ; In: each case they are to advise the Secretary of State on questions connected with the duties of their respective departments, and to submit proposals for the annual Estimates. As regards the Financial Secretary's department, it is laid down that he shall be charged:- '■ v - "With financially reviewing the expenditure proposed to be provided in the annual Estimates for army services, and with compiling those Estimates for submission. ,to Parliament; ' • " With financially reviewing any proposals for new expenditure, or for any proposed redistribution, or for any proposed redistribution of the sums allotted to the different sub-heads of the votes for army services ; "With seeing that accounts of all expenditure of cash and stores are correctly and punctually rendered ; with auditing and allowing all such expenditure, and recording the same under its proper head of service in the annual account for Parliament; with issuing all warrants for the '■ payment of moneys; 'with making all imprests to ; accountants and others ; 9 " With the financial control of the manufacturing departments of the army, and with controlling find recording all contracts for army services ; - '< And* -with advising the Secretary of State on all questions of army expenditure." . ' • ~,"'•' Broadly speaking, the duties of the principal heads of departments remain the same as before. Their position in relation to the Commander-in-Chief, however, is more or less modified according as they are placed under his "control" or merely under his "supervision." «■