New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-07-25

This suggestion Mr. Arnold-Forster
,,s,as to carry out, making the short term men
---.ra,le for service at home in time of peace
- also abroad N important wars. Without
s,,cing the regular force in India. he proposes
:, c,,t down the continCents in South Africa and
:, garrison duty il the colonies and 10 form a
s.-,-arent striking force OF 1000 or 10000
=, Al AldsTshot. ready for service at any mo-
-. Re expects 10 raise the standard Of the
-,n,tio with a view 10 the ultimate amalganla-
80, - this force with the line. and while he
.,,,s down the volunteers to 10000 he divides
-, into two bodies, a highly efficient force
coNse strong and & less efficient fierce Of
,aoon0 men with = lower grant. he asserts
- RE country is paying S29, 600 600 annually
o. the services OF 100000 men at home and
..-oad and fails TO get fun value for its money.
ore ,al4 Of the militia are disabled; the volun
.ss-e are incapable Of facing an invading army.
,-d .he -ceu.ars are badly of for lack OF re-
--.,,ts The Royal Commission has given warn
a.. -Aa- consc-tption IS needed in order 10 force
oc0 nn0 men into service: but he does not think
-, ro,,nt-r- is ready for so drastic a remedy,
,rararea 70 have S25 100000 added 10 the
s-rr.s1 estimates. He prefers to reduce the
.-sse-t raner strength Of 100000 soldiers and
% crt down expenses al around: and at the
800 lime he is confident that the efficiency Of
-, branch of the service can be increased
t,- he proposed scheme Of reorganization.
~ Esro5,icl when he attempted to make over
.be old military system, assumed that an enor-
mons army was needed for home defence. and
.-.,-as o. an ,aper with the calculation that his
81, army corps could easily ne recruited, since
,-s,e the men would extend their period of ser
- NJ arnold Forster has begun by throw
d. overboard his predecessors theory that the
10 al I'd al
,-,,,,s rbe coast when it has the strongest navy
.eos+ He is content with sea power as tire
,.,l,rs-lE Of the islands. and substitutes a mod
est column Of 10000 trained soldiers at Aid -
sta- for the army corps which Lord Wolse4ey
had in readiness when the ultimatum Of Presl-
dent KRUGER brought on war in South Africa.
With long service army of reduced strength.
he regards India and the colonies as safe; and
short service army with auxiliary forces Of d.
s1inished number but increased efficiency. he
considers adequate for home defence. when the
Two year men are required 10 serve six years
with the reserves. If his plans are carried out
the militia will be abolished ard the volunteers
reduced 10 At least one-half their present
strength. The auxiliary forces viii not form so
strong line Of second defence as at present. and
there viii be q shriukage of resources for send
ing a great army overseas in a critical emer-
gency IN their eagerness 10 be thorough in
processes OF reorganization and TO promote ef-
hciency Of every unit OF military strength re-
formers are doing less than justice to the king
don's military resources. They have perverse
talent for discrediting the good work which was
done during the Boer war and for exhibiting
the country before the world as defenceess and
vulnerable. when experience has shown that IT
IS strong and capable OF sending over two hun
dred and fifty Thousand soldiers overseas
! Y z.