THE BRITISH ARMY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 13031, 23 November 1905, Page 5

THE BRITISH ARMY.

. APPOINTMENTS TO GENERAL j STAFF. • ' I > ; _ _■ «. f \ -\,Cs X. \ i ' 4 ,- - <lJ'j ,l '; f . I I - INSTRUCTIONS OF WAR ' i 'council. '■ By ,Telegraph-Press Association Copyright. , (Received November 22, 9.56 p.m.) London, November 22. s j j. The Minister for "War (Mr. Arnold1' For liter) has addressed to the Chief 5 of the General Staff a minute explain-! ~ ing the Army Council's views on the 1 principles which should govern the * selection ;of the : General Staff to j secure continuity of'purpose and action, and to enable the Secretary of State's responsible military advisers to give him 1 , the carefully balanced opinions of a collective body of the ablest men >in the army, and thus forming a school -of military thought abreast of or ahead of that of any other army; ' " Appointment to the General Staff is--' to be lor. four years, and the reward of good service :on the staff is to be accelerated promotion.' : . .(Received November 22, 11.31 p.m.) 5 /:London, November 22. Mr. Arnold-Forster ' . adds: The • Chief of the General Staff must have absolute; power over all officers of [\ the General Staff; He must be the 1 sole . adviser | of the Secretary of 1 State for War iin all matters rof > strategy- ~ and . military operations. * His position . ultimately will be so. im--1 portant that it may cause the neces- ' sity for extending; the tenure of the 1 office beyond that provided in the present regulations. . ' The document concludes with an ' order, on behalf of the Council of 1 War to the Chief of the General Staff ' to' immediately adopt the steps indi--1 cated. ' ' ' * The times says that the thinking and controlling brain, as embodied ; in the General' Staff, which is about ! to be realised, "is perhaps the most I • important of all the army reforms.