The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1901-02-10

thoriticS at the War Office who, on the
eve OF the Transvaal war, cabled TO the
colonies Offering mounted men infantry
preferred.'' 1t was not in the Transvaal
he learned the vital necessity of a sutfi-
cient adjunct Of cavalry, though there the
lesson was bitterly enforced. He remen-
bers how on the march to Cabul, which
first liked the nations eyes upon him,
there came Il moment when lack. of cav
airy snatched from him the fun fruits of
victory. When the afghan centre and left
gave way and the enemy broke and fled
Lord Roberts had no cavalry at hand to
complete the rout and make an end to
further resistance. His later notion,
doubtless gained in his South African
campaign, is to have not exactly cavalry
but squadrons of lighting men, equally at
home on foot or on horseback.
An artillery man himself, he is not like
~ to overlook efficiency in that arm of the
service. He would have the best guns for
field or garrison work and plenty of them.
The transport service, Which alike in In
da and in Africa he found liable to fail
ure at critical moments. he would have re-
organized and placed upon a more gener-
Gus footing. These are broad outlines of
the direction Lord Roberts reforming
hand will take if he goes his own way
at the War Office.
SECRET DOCUMENTS.
It is curious example of the conSer-
vatism predominant in official circles that
to this day secret documents of imperial
purport are circulated among Cabinet
Ministers in type 1t is true the Ms. is
not sent to the Queens printers or any
ordinary shop. In the recesses of the f.
O. is a room where under close super
vision q small body of printers are at
,-f,-,- iC TAX n
leakage. The copy, consisting of foreign
dispatches or secret memoranda is cut
UP in slices SO that no one man shall, an
aided, master the message. The secret
lies with the foreman who makes up the
forms. pulls the proof and return them
with the original Ms. to the Foreign Min
listers secretary In other establishments
such work is done by the typewriter
which limits possession of secrets to a
single operator. Lord Salisbury's lavish
extension of the number of his Cabinet
would probably make it impossible for
the most advanced typewriter to produce
the necessary number of copies at a sim
gle working. But it could be done in
TWO, and The average typewriter is ac-
cusiomed to turn out in a week quite as
much matter as would fall to his lot un.
aided in the Foreign Office.
RUSHING TROOPS TO THE FRONT.
The war. SO opportunity closed for the
purposes OF the general election, is pro-
ceedinS with undiminished vigor on bptn
sides. At home the War Office are al
most busy in the way Of preparations
they were a week after the uitmatum
Was flashed across the sea by Mr. Kru-
ger. Troops are being hastily embarked
for the Cape. a body of 5000 yeomanry
is being raised and appeals are made to
the volunteers to step into the fighting
line. The patriotism of the colonies is
stirred afresh, and there is no falling off
in the response. We read with pride ana
pleasure how in Sydney so great is the
rush of volunteers that would-be recruits
have enjoyed a kind of rehearsal Of mill
tary operations carrying by storm the
Office where enrolment is made,
The same spirit predominates at home.
AT this time OF day there is no mscon-
cept!on Of the life that awaits the soldier
in South Africa. Eighteen months ago the
expedition was regarded In the light OF a
picnic pleasantly eliminating at Pretoria.
To-day there is scarcely home In the
mother country or the colonies that's not
familiar either through private CORES
pondence from the front, or through the
agency of uaWSpaper correspondents With