THE WORM TURNS.

Observer, Volume XXXV, Issue 51, 28 August 1915, Page 2

THE WORM TURNS.

Why Civilians?

IF you have a grievance—growl. If the grievance isn't righted growl again. You can trust ■humanity to kecip on growling as long as humanity is virile and normal"? In Canada, in Australia and in New Zealand huge concentration camps of recruits, hastily mobilised, have resulted in much disease and death. One reason is that recruits are torn from their ordinary surroundings, and at once enter on a new life. Another is that the numbers are unprecedented, the "heads" inexperienced, and the organisation! imperfect. In all these countries, loud and persistent public growls have spurred the responsible people to greater activity- and greater skill. Very many officers, medical and executive, have found it necessary to learn their jobs. If the (public had not growled the Liverpool camp in Australia and the Trenthaim camp in New Zealand would have. remained death-traps. The outcry in Australia has led to the condemnation of the Liverpool camp. The outcry in New Zealand •has led to improvements yet to be tested at Trentham.

The working of the official mind is exemplified in all its sardonic strength in the Australian appointment of a medical chief who is of German name and German extrac-

tion. It is the best evidence yet produced' that the colonies do not appreciate fjhe situation. It is an evidence of the frightful; persistence of the foreigner and the weakness of politicians. It ie an evidence that graft in all its wicked nakedness stalks abroad, and that no sense of national duty prevents the politician from committing! the grossest acts of disloyal favouritism. Please note that Trenthaan is now regarded as an ideal camp. It may be. We do not know. When a soldier wishes to show that his work is good, doesi he ask a soldier to "pass" it? Not in New Zealand. He : calls on a politician to dk> it. For instance, Auckland is pacified l , not by the declaration of. officers, either combative or medical, but by the declaration of Messrs Parr and Dickson, party politicians. Mr Dickson, for instance, may be a profound specialist in_ bacteriology, and Mr Parr an expert in the treatment of cerebro spinal meningitis. Both these gentlemen have "passed'- Trentham—so Trentham is all right. Mr Goinson, Mayior of Auckland', accompanied the other gentlemen. He is not a party politician'—yet. So what he said about Trentham found! no place in the special report from Wellington!.

The one lesson we learn from the Liverpool and Trentham episodes is that we are inexperienced but will not own it. We've got to understand' that our army is a civilian army largely officered bj" civilians, who are now for the first time faced with military conditions. There is no trouble with the recruit. The raw recruit is better to handle than the old soldier who again becomes a recruit. He has nothing to unlearn. The trouble with the civilian officer is that he infers his superiority to the officer who is the result of an agelong system and fails not in fighting, but in army administration. The work of the officer in the rear is of vital importance. To send civilians to look after the welfare of soldiers is utterly wrong. The training of civilians in army methods is the only possible way to achieve successful organisation 1 . You don't appoint a man because he is a bank clerk to run the ward-room of a man of war, and you must not appoint a civilian because he is a good accountant or a good solicitor to run a soldiers' news bureaux. The Army Regulations provide the perfect system. All that is to be done is to teach the civilian officers who are in uniform in Egypt the Army way.