Topics of the Day.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLV, Issue 23, 7 December 1910, Page 46

Topics of the Day.

By Our London Correspondent.

OUR ARMY’S GERMAN CRITIC.

LONDON, October 21. OLONEL GADKE, the distingI / uished military critic has gone to his own country with a very poor opinion of the British Army, which he has been studying at the recent military manoeuvres in England. Here is his verdict: — “ Tn its present composition and training it is not equal to a conflict with a Continental army, and is. on the whole, apart from the smallness of its numbers, unfitted to play any part worth mentioning in modern war. As a land Power, Great Britain has fallen out of the ranks of first-class military Powers. In spite of this, her soldiers, and the raw material which she can command in the form of officers, are exceptionally gomi, and second to none in the world.” The German expert corroborates what was said recently by Lieut. Sutor. the Knglish oflicer who was court-martialled. for writing a pamphlet in which he ridiculed the training methods of the British Army. “The service of the button, the pedantry of pipe-clay,” says C olonel Gadke, “ plays an exaggerated role.” He criticises the purely mechanical drill, the training for sentry duty, the church parade, the exaggerated value set on the men’s uniforms, all of which, he says, interfere in a nmst detrimental manner with the proper training of the troops for service in the field. He thinks the British soldier is pampered, and pampering “ does not make for (dliclency in war. ’ Still more damaging is his criticism of the British generals. From the highest downwards, says Colonel Gadke, they did not know at the army manoeuvres how to begin to utilise their troops in masses, or how to combine ami unitfc them in order of battle. In watching their manoeuvre*, he was reminded of the. Russian Army in its disastrous battles in Manchuria. Even the highest leaders seemed to lose their heads. But most astonishing of all, in Colonel Gadke’s eyes was not the awkwardness of the ■troops, or the weakness of their leaders, but the sorry figure which. according to this critic, was cut by the umpires. Their decisions “were, as a general iulo, as irreconcilable with what would have happened in a real combat, ami so utterly in contradiction to the possibilities of warfare, that one can only ascribe utterly unsound tactical theories to the generals of the British Army. Here, also, the resemblance to the Russian campaign against Japan was unmistakable. In short, Col. Gadke com dudes that the British Army is not only too weak numerically to throw any decisive weight on the scales in a Continental war, but is also deficient in the war training of its soldiers and in the understanding of its leaders for the task which a great modern war would impose on them.

COUNTING THE COST.

Brief as was the duration of the •French railway strike France has suffered enormous loses through it. For a ‘bare week's confusion and riot the country has to foot a very big bill indeed. Accurate figures are. of course, impossible, but it is computed by the officials of the Ministry of Finance that the cost of the strike cannot b‘ placed at less than ten or twelve millions sterling. The value of goods “hung up” during the strike, between France and England alone was nearly a couple of million pounds. A fair proportion of these goods were foodstuffs ami other perishable articles, the value of which is irretriva'bly lost. A similar state of affairs, of course, existed in the interchange of goods between France and her Continental neighbours, Belgium. Holland, Germany ami other countries. The French railway lines thejnselves lost a million ami a-quarter in passenger fares ami on goods freightage, and wilt be put to groat exp"nse to repair the damage done by the strikers, who themselves have lost quite £500,000 in wages. The effect of the interruption of the international trains hit manufacturing •nd retail business mon very severely. Paris houses where stocks were low were Unable to fulfil orders. All industries

have lost tremendously. So in a smaller way the losses have filtered down until the smallest dealer has suffered. As an instance of how a strike can effect every class of community, the women of the flower kiosks on the boulevards. whose takings averages Xia day, have, for want of good flowers, sold only 5/ or 6/ worth. The strikers, with their senseless attacks on property, have run up a bill amounting to hundreds of thousands, while the loss to the small farmers and small shopkeepers all over France is vast. It is possible to obtain some idea of how they have suffered from the market reports in the “Bulletin des Halles” which are published daily. The foodstuffs received in the Palis markets alone were reduced by half during the days of the strike. Even the fishing villages remote from Paris felt the effects of the strike severely. their aggregate losses being estimated at over half a million pounds.

SALVATION ARMY DISCONTENT.

The recent resignation of several old and well-known staff officers of the Salvation Army has been the subject of a good deal of public comment, and has

caused not a little anxiety among the rank and file of Salvationists, and among the friends of the Army. We want to know the true reason why old and esteemed officers like Commissioner Coombs. Commissioner Sowton, Colonels Moss, Howell, and South ill. Brigadier Morris. Majors Morris and Patterson, and Staff-Captain Williams have left or are leaving the Army, but “ Headquarters” prefers to keep silence on the subject. This adherence to the old custom of remaining dumb when maligned by enemies or deserted by friends does the Armv no good, and is no longer acceptable to many officers ami members, nor to the outside friends of the organisation. It gives colour to the adverse reports concerning the Army now in circulation, and points to the caustic criticisms of the Army’s methoils indulged in by “ John Bali.” That journal has attacked the Army week after week, making allegations of a very serious nature, but apparently neither General Booth nor Mr. Bramwell Booth deem it worth their while either to refute the charges made, or to take any action against the persons responsible for their publication. This silence on matters affeetmg the credit of the Army is not commendable. It is not a private concern, and it is dependent to a very large extent upon the goodwill and pecuniary assistance of the general public' for the maintenance of its many charities. Unless the “General” speedily takes the world into his confidence upon the matter of the recent resignations, and takes stops to put an end to the circulation of the many adverse

stories now current against the Army, he will find many systematic contributors to the funds of the organisation diverting their money into other channels. 'rhe reported withdrawal of an officer of Commissioner Coomb’s long experience and ability has naturally made people interested in the Army anxious to know the reason why, after thirty-four years’ service, he should desire to sever his connection with the organisation. General Booth has more than once signalled out this officer for his genius in conducting large and difficult undertakings. No name is better known throughout the ranks of the Army in all parts of the world, and many people feel that the heads of an organisation that lets a man of his calibre leave its ranks and does not acquaint its followers with the cause, are not acting fairly towards the members of the Army, nor to their good friends outside. The Headquarters’ policy of secrecy is undoubtedly opposed to the best interests of the Army, and is responsible for much of the discontent that without doubt exists at present among the rank and file.