The sun., 1900-04-16
ATTACKS ON THE ARMY
Bi .tish Press Condemns Method of
Selecting officers.
RADICAL REFORMS NEEDED.
The Many Reverses In South Africa
Have Brought Out General
CompIaint-Comme on the
Presidential Campaign.

1AOHuDll, 2AlTll HI He Unsatisfactory |
turn that has recently marked the cam
paign against the Beers is resulting i'll |
astonishing and sweeping criticisms by |
the English papers of their own army |
methods. When Butler struck snags in /
| Natal, when General AIethuen and Cen !
eral Gatacre made terrible mistakes and |
before the British arms had secured any |
progress a somewhat similar wave swept |
over the press. But then it was direct |
| ed at individuals and chiefly confined 10 |
papers which We're willing TO condcscend
10 ''slang" one or several generals. Now
names are not mentioned, but there is a
widespread deeply rooted conviction that
the method of selection of British army
officers is altogether wrong. About this
conviction there is no bitterness nor is
it based upon conclusions rapidly arriv-
cd at. Our officers" says the con-
seryative. common sense Outlook, ARE as
brave as lions; but, as Il rule, they are
stupid"
referring to much commented on let
fer written by Colonel I4ons,lalc Hale to
The Times on this subject. in which
Colonel Hale declares that the constant
mental strain and incessant carefulness
becomes tlnbearahe, Vanity Fair says:
"What of the strain that Il naval oii-
Ger has to bear when he knows his
ship may be torpedoed at any moment?
American naval officers have borne that
strain well. Cannot our English soldiers
bear less?" The paper concludes by adj
vocating that army officers be treated
with the same discipline and training as
naval officers.
Reforms Urged.
The Saturday Review advocates good
military schools and reform at Sand
hurst. The Outlook urges that navy
methods be applied to the army, which.
it is declared, is little better than so
cial club. But beneath this outcry
against individual incompetence and lack
of brains on the part of army officers
which since the war began has been
constantly causing the loss of detach-
ments and positions, and especially dur
ing the last fortnight, there is an under
lying and sometimes expressed determi-
nation that England's army must not lon
T ger be offieered by men whose claims to
commissions rest almost solely on birth
[ or money. In other words, the army
must be so changed that an officer can
live on his pay and thus attract to its
!, ranks that hardest element of the race
: the young man who relies upon brains
. alone to make his way in the world This
is not the result of agitation by a dema-
gogic press or the less influential section
of the public. 1t is an almost unanimous
deduction drawn from the lessons of the
present war by papers controlled in many
cases by aristocrats, including members
of the cabinet itself.
They Remember the Revolution.
The premature self congratulation over
the occupation of Bloemfonten has had
a reaction somewhat similar TO that
F..l1n E,.cf xrio in Nh
tai As The Saturday Review says "toc
soon did we congratulate ourselves on
the possession Of Blocmfontein and toe
little did we realize that the possession
Of such a capital does not imply much
1t then proceeds to instance the capture
of Philadelphia by the British i'll the wal
.~ for independence, showing its uselessness
and eventual evacuation.
y Not little interest is beginning to be
N taken i'll England in politics in the Unit
!: cd States. Admiral Dewey's candidacy
81 is regarded rather more humorously THAI
"A i'll any other light, the popularity Of th'
i: admiral having never been quite under
s; stood in England nor his achievement
<s thoroughly appreciated by either nava
Z. or lay circles, whose attention has Ill
u ways been more confined to our naval op
= erations in the West Indies than to Ma
S voices government opinion, has length!
II and important editorial on the relation
4: in the immediate future between Ameri
& ca and Great Britain, during which
- says in part:
i. THE British people will have to keel
their tempers for the next few month
4: when they consider American affairs
!. BY rather an odd series of circumstance
it happens that the pivot of the mex
Z: election will be the relation Of the Unit
y. ed States and Great Britain and Q
4 course in the frenzy Of the campaign yer
!: hard things will be said. Mr.. Bryan an
J. his supporters will perhaps pass resolt
4 tions in the Democratic convention cal
~ ing anon the government to tntctNeH
;. strongly III behalf Of President Kruger
VA. who, either BY instinct or craftincss 4
ways appeals 70 them through literatur
ri which they knew bestthe Old Testi
= mont. We shall have Il shower OF hal'
~ words from their side and may be even
= difficult aud perpeNcd argument to man
II tain through Lord Puuncefote.
Defended by Neither Side.
II "And, too, we shall not be very strenl
T ously defended by The Republicans. Pre-
= = ident Mckinley will persist in his polio
VI and carry his party with him, but still
RI is the American candidate for the pres
- dency and cannot bear with the secon
- term at stake to lose Il vote. Mr.. Nj
- Kinley therefore and the Republica
= leaders will do nothing to show then
selves friends Of Great Britain. The
~ will utter no plain protest against Il
-: chorus of ignorant reprobation and wi
-. view with dismay any appearances {
/: this side of any hearty wish for Repu
~: lican success. We must, however po
-. sess our souls in patience and recciN
!: American censure with that dogged st
- Iidity with which we receive eensure fro
~. the remainder of the world. The elector
* campaign will come to an end and vii
y: it most of the attacks upon Great Bri
~ ain"
* This article voices better than an
~ thing that has recently appeared Il
~ tone of the sentiment toward Ameri
~ held by British government officials al
- by those who are seriously interested
~ the relations of the two countries.
Il. The statement that the senate will n
y: ratify the Hay-Pauncefote conyenti'
s:Ss this year has created little CONNER
~ Those who maintain that England hi
E; given something for nothing in the Mic
*; ragua agreement express pleasure al