ARMY REFORM.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 12479, 25 January 1904, Page 5

ARMY REFORM.

SPEECH BY MR. ARNOLD-

FORSTER.

IMPORTANT FORECASTS.

By Telegraph.— Association.—Copyright

London, January 22. ; Mr. Arkold-Forster, Secretary of Stale for War. speaking in Liverpool, said if he was backed by the good- | .will of the army it would be his duty j to endeavour to sec that the past j errors of administration did not re- | cur. Now, as prior to the Boer war, i i we were still unable to embark a ' battalion at full strength without i ' mobilising the army. Our reservists '■ ; ought to be a supplement and not I ? substitute for the regular :iy. . He foreshadowed an increase, in the I number en trained subalterns and I captains and the const action of bet- j I ter barracks, and also that the en- I I listraent periods, for lino regiments, : | no nuado optional for periods from ! I th'-'e to el**ht years. Heretofore, ho j said, wo lived by drawing blood j from, and killing, the militia, which must be restored as a substantive force. We have now two sets of volunteers, sonio with more leisure ; than the others, and sympathy and j common sense, ho declared, would J solve the problem of the classificaJ tion, and the utilisation of Loth, thus j securing a force of immense: value.