Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-12-18
TACTICS AND STRATEGY.
Lord Wo1seIey Defines the Two and
Talks About Volunteers.

Talks About Volunteers.
From the London Globe.
In a recent address on 1.-The Tactical
Training of Volunteers" Lord Wolseley,
the new commander-in-chief of the English
army, said that there was a general ten
dency to confound tactics with strategy.
When one talked of strategy, he talked of
a science; but when he talked of tactics he
talked of an art. tt was very desirable
that those who had to hold high positions
in military forces should have very ex-
tended knowledge Of Strategy and of mill
tary history, from which the rules of STRAIT
egy were derived.
Tactics, on the other hand, was an art
very easily acquired, hnd related to outpost
duty, rear guard duty and work or That
kind. He believed any competent captain
of a company could teach it to his subordi-
mates, and he would even go further and
say that tactical instruction might be
given in room. OF course, he did not
wish to deprecate the instruction which
was given in the field. On the contrary,
the more officers of both the army and the
volunteers who could go into camp ana pc
taught tactics and tactical operations the
better 1t would be for them.
1t had been said that regiments and reg
mental officers were what the command
ing officers made them, and oe believed
that to be entirely the case. When ne re-
membered what the volunteers had been
and knew what they were at present, he
could not but congratulate them upon nav
ing done SO much in recent years TO I'M
prove themselves. They had improved both
In discipline and drill. He referred partlc-
ularly to drill, because it had been rather
lost sight of in the discussion, and al
though no one worked harder than he had
done to get old-fashioned drills abolished
in the army, he had always thought, and
would continue to think, how great was
the value and Importance of knowledge
of drill. 1t was not only discipline for
the body, but for the mind. and taught
men the first rudiments of obedience.
If he were asked what was the greatest
military virtue-greater even than courage
he would ray that it was unhesitatirS.
unquestioning obedience. With regard to
the suggestion that volunteer officers
should be required to pass compulsory
examination in tactics, though there was a
great deal to be said in favor of it, one had
to deal with actual facts, and could not lay
down in writing what he conceived would
be the best possible process for imparting
knowledge of tactics. 1t was necessary
to take volunteer officers as they We're
found. and make the best of the force. but
above all, he must not do anything which
would injure the patriotic feeling which
called the force into existence.
lnstruc tors should take every opportu-
nifty of instructing the officers in a knowl-
edge of tactics. but they could not lay down
a hard-and-fast rule and say that volunteer
officers must pass an examination in tao
tics, or their services would be dispensed
with. On the other hand, however, where
they got bad commanding officer in a
battalion. and 1t was evident that the de-
fects of the battalion were due to the COM
sanding officer they must say to him:
Sir, you have done your best. but your
best is not good enough for US. and you
must CO."