THE BRITISH ARMY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14868, 20 December 1911, Page 8

THE BRITISH ARMY.

Though the veil of secrecy still hides from the vulgar gaze the crises through which the European international situation has passed during the last few months, enough is known to make it certain that at one stage it drifted perilously near the verge of war. . The danger, it is to be hoped, is now over, but it may recur in an even more menacing form in the immediate future, a possibility which makes the" question of the efficiency of the British Army one of supreme ' importance. Lord Roberts, whose warnings to the nation have been both persistent and alarming, though they have singularly failed to rouse public opinion, again calls attention to the utter unpreparedness of the Army in the event of Great Britain involved in a war with a European Power. He .asserts that the Regulars are unfitted to take .the field, that the rifles with which they are armed are inferior to those used by the French and German armies and that the artillery is scarcely more satisfactory. His. criticism of the Territorials is at once outspoken j and severe. They lack,;' he declares, discipline, shooting,* - and" precision.' On the other hand Lord Haldahe, | the Secretary for- War, - maintains |, that they are the finest in the world, and, in reply apparently to complaints of the numerical weakness of the Territorial Force; he states that he would rather see the country pay more to increase the navy than increase the supply of half-trained soldiers. Where experts differ "so widely it. is not, perhaps, for lay- i men to decide. . We would venture to point .out, however, that if there is a' lack of trained soldiers in Great Britain, as Lorn Haldane seems' to admit, it is. entirely due to the : scheme which he himself originated, and which made no provision for universal military training. Tho working of the scheme so far has been most unsatisfactory as is shown by the following figures:—Regular army strength, Oct. 1.19C5 ... 272,133 Regular army strength, Oct. 1, 1910 ... 252,685 'Militia strength, October 1, 1905 ... ... 90.277 Special reserve strength, Oct. 1, 1910 ... 66,053 Yeomanry and volunteers strength, Oct. L 1905 ... •■■ ... 274,770 Territorial force strength, Oct. 1, 1910 ... 269,625 It will be seen from the foregoing table that in the categories enumerated there has been a loss in numbers of practically 50,000 in five years. In the event of an outbreak of hostilities it is evident that a large percentage of the defence < forces would be found wanting in adequate training, a defect which undoubtedly would be attended' by grave risks of national disaster should the enemy succeed in speedily effecting a landing in the country. Such a contingency* is only possible by' assuming that the Fleet is either too weak or is caught napping, and we agree with Lord Haldane that everything depends upon the first line of defence. But though the Fleet may be /tfxe nation's all in all it is conceivable that in certain circumstances the Army might be the only force standing between the country and conquest it is therefore a matter of vital importance that it should be kept in the highest state of efficiency as regards both men and material. The statements made by Lord Roberts are not calculated to inspire us with confidence, and though their accuracy is denied by the authorities they cannot fail to create an uneasy feeling in the public mind. ,;