The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1905-06-11
BRITISH ARMY
SHOWS A LACK
Of OFFICERS
England NowFaces
New Military
Peril.
Special Gable to The caIi.

/
| LONDON, June 1O.-That the lesson:
of the Boer war have been emphasized
experience in the Far East cannot be
| denied. The fate that has overtaker
Russia is a warning to those who put
| their trust in "invinciDle armies" com
posed of unframed multitudes. officereo
by men who lack the qualities that
| command victory.
Compared with the Japanese officer
| the Russian is often an amateur with
out enthusiasm. Unless men are led by
| the best that the race can give. cour-
age and sacrifice count for little. The
time has gone by-if it ever was-wher
Napoleon could say that the army OF
| Great Britain is an army of heroes LED
! by asses The heroes are still with
us, but there is imminent. danger that
| the changed conditions of service may
| involve us In a new peril
! The Earl of Enroll, in the Nineteenth
| Century Magazine. calls attention to
| this danger. He, shows beyond the
shadow of dispute that the dearth OF
officers In the army is a serious and
may prove a fatal defect in the organi-
zation.
Now, why don't our boys come for
! ward?" asks the Earl of Enroll. What
is it that disgusts our officers ano
makes them leave the service?"
on strike. An abnormal number of Of
fcers are sending. in their papers, and
it is becoming more difficult every day
to fill their places. The supply nc
longer equals the sdemand.
What is. the reason for the slumpi
In the first place, officers and would be
officers are beginning to ask themselves
whether the terms offered them are
good enough for the sacrifices they are
=. % nol nd a. c
that they are not. The game Is not
worth the candle. The dearth of Of
fcers is, I firmly believe, due to the
inadequaacy of the pay, to the uncer-
tainty as to their prospects. and to the
constant worrying to which. they are
subjected.
The day of the amateur is past. SOL
diering has become in fact, as It was In
nanle O. serious profession. The Ear
of Enroll recognizes the change.
Now, when so much more is asked Of
them, when they have to give up theil
whole time to soldering, when they
have to pass through continuous exam
nations, to lecture their men. to super
wise their musketry. and to instruct
them in all their duties, and at the
same time have their leave locked to q
very great extent, 1t is little wonder
that they don't think the service good
J enough at the price.
THE private soldiers pay has in
creased much in the last thirty years
and in many ways he is far better OF
than ne was. The officers pay alone
has remained stationary, while his
work has increased tenfold, and this al
q time when the cost of living has gone
up to a very considerable extent.
EITHER pay the market price and
give US a living wage, or take upor
yourselves the burden which is really
yours.
what are the conditions under which
the British subaltern is asked to serve.
I'm the first place, he has to pass q
very stiff examination. His parents have
to pay to enable him to do this. in conse-
ouence of the wretched education pro-
yfded at our public schools. Having sue.
cessfulIy gone through this ordeal. yor
pay him the wages of an artisan and ex
pect him to live like gentleman-and
mind you. unless he does keep up appear
ances he is OF no use to you as an of
ficer. And for this miserable wage hs
runs q very good chance of getting killed
or dying of fever in some out of the way
part of the world in order that the SAID
artisan may follow his trade in peace and
security"