LORD KITCHENER'S WORK.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 10967, 9 May 1907, Page 4

LORD KITCHENER'S WORK.

: ♦ ■ SPEECH ON MILITARY PLANS IN INDIA. CALCUTTA, March 27. Lord Kitchener, speaking on the Budget to-day, made a long statement on Lillian military policy, wliich, he said, was purely defensive. He said: "It is most unlikely that we will ever attack any other Power, or undertake operations unless forced thereto by aggression, or compelled to defend what we hold. Our duty is to obtain the best possible value for our money. "The distribution of troops has been little changed since the Mutiny. We are now attempting to forni divisions, selfcontained m all respects, which, when ready to take the field, would leave behind sufficient troops to provide for order and tranquility m the areas from which they aro drawn. "The idea is to establish divisions, en echelon, one behind-the. other on the various railway lines, so as, to provide for rapid concentration m time of. war." :....;-■'■. Wd Minto. the Viceroy, said he doubt-, ed whether the -Con_nander-in-Chief\s attempt to create a self-contained divisional organisation liad ever been properly ap : .predated . Although the initial . outlay entailed by the scheme was heavy, the new organisation would tend to increased efficiency, would save the waste of previous years, and would ensure a sound system of economy m the Army. Continuing, Lord Minto said that politically India is m a transition stage. Xow aspirations are springing up which I the ruling Power must meet and assist, i and lie deemed it all-important that the : initiative of possible reforms should emanate from the Government. Nothing could be more mischievous than the belief that the Government had acted simply m submission, to the agitation m India, ;uid m accordance with instructions from home. They now awaited Mr Morley's reply lo the views expressed 'm the Indian Government's despatch.