The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-09-02

tary star chambers have loft behind them
wherever Lord Roberts, column has passed
by the Official employment Of loV-clasS rogues
In asserting British authority over the rcsl-
dents Of conquered territory, Failure to de-
feat men with the weapons Of war II not n
sufficient excuse for brutal injustice 10 them
by the orments known to peace. These adj
Juncts 10 the Intelligence department OF the
army. To whom ] have referred, never by any
chance do any Of the rough work or fighting.
They appear when a place IL occupied and
are assiduous in letting the well-to- do in
habitants know that by their ofilcial positions
they are persons 10 be feared: that by speaking
III or well Of their victim they can settle his
fate. Perhaps the well-to-do inhabitant
sometimes reads his inquisitor's mind and.
opening his con ers. shows that he can take a
hint.
LEARNING THE LESSONS AT HoME
II Is worse by far to contemplate the specta-
Gle Of the British officer trying to institute a
rule tolerable TO s~elf-respectlng civilians than
10 dwell on his shortcomings in military ca
pacity, In the matter OF fighting skill the argu-
ments deducible from the earlier part Of this
article would seem, indeed. 10 have prevailed
already with the Commander-ln-Chief In Eng
land, II is to he regretted that il should be
within a few weeks Of the end Of his FIVE years
tenure Of ONCE before Lord Wolseley should
have made known his startling discoveries,
As most OF the divisional Generals at the front
are his own personal appointments and their
exploits are by now sufficiently familiar. one
may take his criticisms uttered at Aldershot
on Thursday last as marking what he considers
the vital faults Of the British Army's field per-
formances. He spoke to the officers command
ing the troops OF the Home district. who are
responsible for the defence Of London, They
had gone through some operations and a sham
fight In his presence TO exhibit their skill.
After visiting all the principal positions in
! the schemes he ordered the Cease FIRE" 10
sound at 10 o'clock. and when the command
ing officers had assembled. and both sides had
explained their object and work. he said he
had refrained from coming down TO Aldershot
before so as TO allow ommanders time TO give
the IT ops under them "a much instruction
"a possible. and so afford a better opportunity
Of showing what they had learned since they
had been NJ Aldershot. He had ordered the
field day to take place that day so rs 20 see for
himself what the troops had learned in the last
two months. He had not been favorably struck
with the manner In which the operations had
been conducted Perhaps he had ex pected
too much. and had found that the troops had
got to be taught like children to walk before
they could run. although all concerned had
done their utmost in trying TO make the opera
tons a SUCCESS. He considered, however. that
for the present no larger operations than bri-
gade field days should be undertaken by the
troops, for what they needed TO learn was
company drill and small work before engag-
ing In operations on a large scale.
A deal OF time had recently been devoted
TO musketry, which was very proper. as II was
one Of the most important parts ~ the soldiers
training. but he would like 10 impress on the
battalion commanding officers present that
they could not 20 down too low In the scale
Of instruction in fitting the soldier for his work.
tie hoped that rs time went on they would
work IN 10 larger operations. but at The present
moment the troops were not In a condition
10 move In larger formation than hrlgades.
Battalion commanding offcers must teach their
captains. and the cap tains the men. the early
instruction NJ soldiers work, and that would
form q solid foundation on which 10 build more
extensive work. He knew Gen. Montgomery
Moore and his stan were doing all that was
possible in this direction. and great din culties
had TO be overcome. by reason OF the great
and frequent changes that had continually
taken place in the stan and troops; yet he was
compelled to say. without disparaRement TO the
officers he was addressing, that the army corps
Nld' wa fllEdEfh III Nne opera NOIN tlal gay
some 5000 men-was not In a condition which
would Varrantit being sent abroad n NJ TO take
the field.
Lord wolseley's remarks. il should be kent
in mind. were addressed to those to whom
most Of the responsible appointments on Gem
erals STAINS go. Lord Methuen had the nome
district az his command before he went TO
South Africa, and II Is 10 Aldershot that Off
GERS from all over the country go 10 see the
nearest approach to the work OF war in times
Of peace. Gen. Montgomery Moore, who now
commands the Home district. was even more
outSpoken a week ago after the Alderslot
field day. which was a dress rehearsal for the
performance Lord Wolseley attended Gen.
Moore said that the first thing that struck
him was that both sides would have suffered
most terrible slaughter had il been actual
warfare. lie did not think the severe lessons
Of the South African campaign that had been
lately m into them were receiving
the attention they ought. He had seen that
day the volunteers in close formation under
a hill held by the enemy's infantry, who were
well concealed, and firing at less than $40 yards.
which must have resulted In terrible holes
knocked into their ranks. They must remem-
her that when they were within striking dis.
tancn Of the enemy's position, their first duty
'' ~ 50 ~" ''hh' VI ana tlat at
once. He had seen the battery az work at
Bastion Hil. and could not understand WHY
the teams Of horses and men were left EXPOSED
10 the enemy while the battery was In action.
instead Of taking cover behind the hill. The
lessons Of the barrack-yard must be respected
in operations and war, else the time taken
in learning them was utterly wasted. Both
sides had shown utter disregard for the enemy's
fire. That sort Of thing would not do. they
must play the game in all earneStness. He
had seen the guns retired along the front OF
the enemy's line. presenting good targets TO
their skirmishers. he had also noticed the
laxity with which the volunteers had taken
up their positions, strolling gavly along. quite
calmly in face OF rifle and artillery fire. That
was bad. There were only two things 20 do
In attacking. one was TO lie down and take
advantage Of all available cover. and the other
was 20 double from position to position. Surely
no man could sum up more proofs Of absolute
incompetence than Gen, Moore does in ad-
dressing men for whose training he ia himself
In som measure responsible.
SOLDERING AND FIGHTING,
Thereys a vast difference between soldering
and fighting. The former is In England a