British Army Reform.

Waihi Daily Telegraph, Volume IV, Issue 1042, 16 July 1904, Page 2

British Army Reform.

Details of tin Scheme b Regulars to be Cut Up into Two Armies Proii Aun«i«t<oii.—Conjridbt. London, July 16 ut Ix Iho Honso of Commons Mr, Arnold it Foster explained that the new army I' scheme proposes to divido the regulars to two nvraios. The first will police the f8 empire, conduct small wars, arid boar the 4 iirst brunt of larger ones, It will bo disi posed ontireiy according to stratogetical d requirements, und without regard to any o rigid system, Tho linking will bo ut chiefly abroad, only a proportion being i, kept at home for convenient circulation and is to provido a forco of 15,000 at io Aldoi'shot. The period of service will bo ,g niiio yours with the colours anil throo £ with the reserves. j, Tho second army will be for homo o servico and will only go abroad in tho d enso of important wars, It will bo strict- . ly lerritorialiscd, Tho period of servico 10 will be two years with tho colours and six 11 years in the reserves. 3, Mr. Foster proposos that 90 or a 100 of tho present battalions will bo utilised for tho general service army, and that after abolishing fourteon of tho recently raisod battalions and fivo battalions of tho garrison regimonts, no will convort tho remaining forty battalions with the homo sorvico battalious on an establishment ' of only 500 inon, While profoundly dissatisfied with the militia he did not propose to abolish it, He described volunteers as. the best •material for tho army. He proposed to reduce the volunteers to 180,000 efficients. ■ Of these 60,000 would bo highly trained, ia and receive a higher and 20,000 would bo of lower efficiency, thus requiring less sacrifice of time and a smaller ■" grant, He would givo rille clubs <£50,000 anil mially for ammunition, The scheme o would save £2,39-1.000 iu a year, i- Tho Times says that the proposals are 3. not the final solution ot the problem, but are an important advaneo in tho'rigbt direction,