Omaha daily bee., 1892-09-25
ROYALTY IN SERVICE
How the Queens Sons Are Rated in the
Great British Army.
POPULAR BUT INCORRECT IMPRESSION
People Are Wrong in Thinking the Regal
Soldier Enjoys Snap
HARD WORKED AND VERY WELL POSTED
HARD WORKED AND VERY WELL POSTED
Experiancs of Parliamentary Committee
in Dealing with soldier-Duke.
SURPRISED AT HIS MINUTE INFORMATION
He Was Thoroughly Well Acquainted with
Every Branch of the Service-Ad-
mitted to BE Earning Their
Salaries as Officers.


copyrighted 1892 by James Gordon Bennett.l
LONDON, Sept. 24-(New York Herald |
Cable-Special to The BEE. "A Few Gays
ago an agitation which promised TO auoro
rare sport for the million, and to give the
orators of Hyde Park q new and inexh aus
tible theme for their denunciation Of wicked
ness IN high places, was started bv
news agency. The rumor went forth
that the duke of Connaught third
son of the queen, was to succeed
Lord Robert as commander-in- CHIEF or the
forces i'll India. In the course OF FEW
hours that section of the press which Is
always ferretng out something di5agreeaole
to say about any member of the royal family
was in a whir of excitement. Here was
another job at the expense OF the taxpayers
and worse even than that, 1T would very
likely result in the loss of India The duke
OF Cannauyht did not even know how to 'set
u squadron In the ield," ana now he was to
be holsted over the heads of the most expert
enced soldiers England has to show.
1t was a capital hare to start, but 1t did
not run very far An official contradiction
appeared almost instantly, aud the agitators
with their alarming cries and blue fac had
to beat retreat. 1t was pity, Tor we
might have had a procession to Hyde park
nnt lots of speeches tomorrow If things
could be left as they were going for few
days longer.
They Know the Trade.
OF course the duke OF Connaught is not
soldier in the sense that LORD Roberts Is
one, but the bitterness of the attacks upon
him cannot be explained by that fact.
The general impression III the public mind
is thet the queens sons and relations are
only put into the army and navy as means
of providing them with handsome incomes,
and that they never take the least trou BILE to
learn their duties Now that is
where the great mistake is made.
So far from being negligent or
ignorant, all these persons have worked hard
to fit themselves for their position, and they
are quite on tho level in point of technical
proficiency with their brother officers. There
is no better sailor, for instance. III the royal
navy than the duke of Edinburgh. Every
branch OF the service is familiar to him.
The duke of Connaught was cadet at
Woolwich when only l6, and from that day
to this has been performing military duties.
He served IN Egypt in 1882. Since then he
has been much IN India. No one dreams OF
suggesting that he is to be put on level with
Lord Roberts. who went through the Indian
mutiny aud fought through the Abyssinian
campaign. Nor is it to be supposed that a
man OF AZ can have had as much experience
as q man at Co.
Cambridge Converted Him.
At one time / fully shared popular i'm
-, preston, which have referred, but it SO hap
pened that was called upon to serve on Il
parliamentary committee which was inquir-
ing into the condition of the army and kin
dred questions. For two days we had the
duke of Cambridge before US Us witness
He was at hrst looked upon with great sus-
plcion by the radical members of the com.
mittee, who expected to sec him bowled over
with the first few questions. 1t soou
became evident that there was nc
detail connected with the army, from the
cost of the private soldiers boots to the &C
tual strength of the entire British forces
which he had not at his fingers end. Ht
knew his business thoroughly, and answered
every question without hesitation, and wa!
found TO be absolutely right in all his fact
and proved beyond doubt that ne took tn
deepest interest In the welfare of the RAM
and file and wanted to see them treated NOR
literally in many respects, but has no powe
in the matter.
..If YOU want n good army" he said, ''yol
must pay for it and the House of Common
is always crying out for economy. Yo
can't get a first rate article for a low price.
Some one asked him why it was necessar
to have such u snowy uniform on most OF ou
soluiers.
Because" he said, "a showy uniform at
tracts Mary Ann tho nurse maid. Tha
makes Tommy Atkins join the army. Pu
them into ordinary street dress and wome
would not look at them. You would the
find recruiting haracr Job than ever.
is not all for honor and glory that tn
soldier AID
They Earn Their Wages.
The duke made great impression on tn
entire committee. We had Lord Wolse'
General BrookenDury and other distIu
guished soldiers before us, but none of thel
were more at home In dealing with militar
technicalities than the duke
''rhis is not at all what 1 expected r.
marked radical colleague to me, with
Smile upon my word believe he mostl
earns his money"
l will venture to say as one who is In fave
OF cutting down salaries and the most rigi
economy, that this same remark applies
the other sons of the queen and the prince
Wales, who are IN the army or navy. The
have been too well trained to run any risk
appearing ignorant by the side Of other G
fcers in the service.
am no courter, but am In favor of ran
ing everybody according to his merit
whether he be the sou OF "A mouarcn or Il
- butcher round the corner. These roy
personages, OF course. start with q gre
advantage, but they work hard go throni
very strict appren nticeship, and then duti
are well performed. There is no army
naval officer competent TO give an opinion
the So biect who will not readily assent
this. The days Of "fgureneads" aud emp
pretensions are past
George ~ wanted to oe commander,
chief ard although that wish was not era
fed, be succeeded in persuad!ng himself IL
! hot only MAS he ~ the battle of WsterlS