The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1903-11-06
THE SOLDIER
AND HIS STOMACH
WHAT LORD KITCHENER SAYS OF
THE ABILITY OF MEN TO LOOK
OUT FOR THEMSELVES

During the late investigation of the
British War office Lord Kitchener
stated that ON his arrival at Cape Town
there was no war map available. Col.
Henderson started to make enc. on
the whole the strength Of the Army in
the field was well maintained. Asked
what he had to say as to the quality Of
the men. Lord Kitchener renlied: "Tn
the earlier stages of the war there was
cerain amount of want of training
among the men of the Reserve who
had been long in civil life. This tenn
porarily affected the efficiency of some
units. but the Reservists quickly picked
up their training, ard were then some
of the best men in their regiments
Then men marched well, but at first the
soldier was not good ait taking care of
himself and looking after his health
and comfort in bivouac and ON the
march, and he was generally ignorant
or quite oblivious of sanitary precau-
tions. He was usually too dependent
on his officers, and lacked individuality.
The material is very good, but hard
work and intelligent training is wanted
test. Before the war. in all the COM
batant branches of the services, me-
chanical perfection had been cultivated
at the expense of individual resource
| fulnes."
Concerniro the officers Lord Kitche-
ner said at was found on more than
one occasion that the reputation of Of
ficers acquired in peace time. and even
I'm other wars was not sustained under
the more modern conditions of South
Africa. I had some difficulty. even
with the experience of q wear of the
| war to guide me, in obtaining a suffi-
Gent number of competent officers to
command the columns in the later
| stages of the war. The prolongation
of hostilities without interruption or
rest, and under the continuous moral
strain which modern war entails, wears
out the individual commander in a re-
markably short space of time and it
was not often easy TO replace him. I
should like ito point out, further. that
i'm the higher ranks also there seems to
be want of that professionalism which
is essential to thorough efficiency"
Lord Kitchener further said There
!
rious study of their profes sdon by Off
GERS. who are, I think. rather inclined
to deal too lightly with military oues-
tons of moment. The junior officers
were, in my opinion, better than the
senior officers. The officers on the
staff were very mixed. Some were
excellent while others had no staff
training, and had every thing to learn
There was no reserve of qualified staff
officers to fill vacancies. The tendency
on the part of some generals and com
manders to do their own staff work
was noticeable, and should be dis
| countenanced. / consider that the
| training of officers to fit them for war
can best be provided by manouvers
which should be made to follow as
closely as possible every characteristic
detail of war up to the actual contact
| between the combatants."
General Sir w. Butler, with reference
to his relations, with the War Office
as to his scheme of defense, said that
his scheme was in the hands of the
War Office within four months of the
return of Sir Alfred Miner from Eng
| land; and had the War Office convey
| ed to me at any moment between jan
uary and June, 1899, the slightest init
nation that a diplomatic initiative was
about Ito be taken with the Dutch Re-
publics, or that there was an early
probability of war, I might perhaps
| have saved a few weeks in the prepare
ton of this report, and undoubtedly l
would earher have given to the War
Office the emphatic warnings which
| ware 60 often ranea tod in INV diSnalt chee
and kilograms of the end of June.
While in June, 1899, was severely CEN
sured because / had ventured to warn
the office in forcible language as to the
nature of a war with the Dutch Re-
publics in South Africa, l am now
taken to account for not having made
my warming of that time still more
emphatic"