The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-03-25
ENGLAND'S NEW SCHEME.
Plan For Reorganization OF Army
Nearly Approaches CONSUMPTION.


Nearly Approaches CONSUMPTION.
New York, March 25.-The London cor
respondent OF the Tribune writing Of
EngIand's scheme of military reorganiz-
alton, says.
The new scheme of military organiza-
ton may be roughly described as the
half way house to CONSUMPTION. It in
wolves the development OF the existing
system Of voluntary enlistment and
which preclude reasonable expectation
of success. When the experiment has
been tried and the results are found un-
satisfactory the way viii be opened for
compulsory service. The war office will
then be in a position to assert that every
thing was done under the voluntary SyS-
tenn to provide an adequate army for the
defense OF the empire, but that men
We're not forthcoming and that an elab-
crate paper scheme proved a failure. The
only alternative, from the official ard
military point of view, will be cornpul-
sorry service. The military experts, who
have been contending for years that con-
scriptiOn was Inevitable and that the
empire could not be defended without 1t,
unite in prOnouncing Mr. Broderick'S
speech a mastery performance That is
because they perceive the trend OF an ex-
ceedingly artificial attempt to provide
lZ5,OUU new troops and TO organize SIX
army corps, in as many districts, for
constant training and annual manoeu-
yers. Mr.. BrOderick himself spoke like
litical reasons to make bricks without
straw, and had little confidence in the
voluntary system.
The reOrganized army will consist of
three army corps of regulars, with head
quarters at Alderslot, Salisbury Plain
and Dublin and three army corps of
auxiliary forces at Colchester, York and
Scotland, with sixty battalions of militia
and volunteers, a considerable body of
imperial yeomanry and 2l2 volunteer
field artillery batteries Each corps will
I-kr.-
and be virtually self-administrative.
There will be no great increase of reg
ularS, although from 10 to IS battaliOns
will be gained by the withdrawal of the
Mediterranean and colonial garrisons
and by the transfer of Indian troops to
tropical posts and placing coaling sta
tons under the control of the navy; but
$1,000 Will be added to the militia, the
yeomanry will be recruited to 30 000 and
in one way or another over 125.O00 fresh
troops viii be brought under training in
six districts. All these changes are
made in order to keep three army corps
in readiness for foreign service in an
emergency, yet to leave three army
corps behind to provide for home de-
tense; and whether the troops are des-
patched abroad or held in reserve, every
corps viii have it's own organization,
cavalry, artillery and transport and be
systematically trained for modern war
fare. The scheme looks effective on pa
per; the chief practical difficulty is
promptly suggested by French, German
be obtained? What magic can recruit
ing have in the future which it has lack
ed in the past? There is no increase of
pay for regulars or militiamen,and there
are no additional attractions in a service
which is to be rendered more arduous
than ever before.
The scheme Of reorganization involves
the liquidation of a political debt When
the Salisbury government dissolved parlia-
ment last autumn it pledged itself to re-
some project which looked impressive on
paper had to be brought forward after
made the government itself was open to
criticism Tor having underest1mated the
was convenient for ministers to lay stress
the necessity Tor g compete revision OF !
methods The ministers In redeeming |
their promise indict the patriotism of the |
nation. the loyalty Of the colonies and the /
efficiency of the voluntary system Their I
scheme of reorganization is virtually a +
confession Ihat every thlng went wrong IN /
South Africa; that the army was unequal /
tenn broke down. That indictment is not t
well founded The ministers miscalcu- I
either Lord Lansdowne or Lord Wolseley I
sent one army corps to do theWorlS of six. I
hghtng mobile mounted forces the gem
erals were anateuriSh IN such battles at 4
Isss ~ sstrornhI1rp and 1fagersfonteir. the I
officers lacked hexibility and quickness of /
medical and transport services were de-
fective- Aldershot has not come out well, /
nor mas ali Mall nor LOWING street. buC
the soldiers never hinched in their duty,
and the army as a whole endured the
strain of a terrible campaign. with SPLEEN
did STAYING power. The results in South
Africa have been highly creditable to the
rank and file, and have fully yindieated
der voluntary enlistment. Pail Mall made
some woeful miscalculations and the of
fcers in the field were not always up to
their work: but in order to retrieve these
blunders it was not necessary to call in
question the discipline of the volunteer
army and the patriotism of the nation by
the present plan of reorganization. which
slim uIates the spread of militariSm in a |
peace loving community, and leaves as /
the basis of imperial defense a specious
paper scheme enmeshed with red tape.
without the soldiers in plain sight.
Temperatures Of Large Cities.
Chicago, March 25.-7 a. m. tempera-
lures: New York AZ; Boston AZ; Phil