The Saint Paul globe., 1905-01-01

L suggested.
They have not improved bit" said
DR.. Mcguire, decisively. In some re-
spects they are even worse than they
were then. If anything could be more
humiliating than that exposure of the
contemptibly inefficient training and
gross ignorance of many of our mill
tary officers it is the fact that although
more than two years have since elapsed
nothing has been done to remedy the
defects pointed out.
In an address at the Woolwich Roy
al Military academy-which, though
much inferior to West Point, is consid-
erably ahead Of the Sandhurst insti-
tut1On-dellvered a year after that re-
port had been published, Lord Roberts
complained that the examinations
showed that the candidates were
strangely deficient in Spelling, knowl-
edge Of the English language and map
reading. To properly appreciate the
significance of this censure it must
be understood that. Lord Roberts was
addressing young gentlemen who had
ceased to be cadets, and having passed
the entrance competitive examinations
were about to join the commissioned
ranks Of the British army. 1t would
be utterly impossible that such words
could ever be spoken Of West Point
graduates. For such gross ignorance
OF rudimentary branches of learning
they would have been dismissed long
before their final examinations were
reached. 1t was stated in a leading
journal recently that in general educa-
ton and capacity board school boys
are far superior to the average Elton,
Harrow and fashionable school boys.
If the latter schools be not speedily
reformed or abolished the richer classes
of England will soon be decadent.
I'VE have proflted nothing by the
numerous 'regrettable Incidents of the
Boer war that were so largely due to
the 1ncapacity of commanding officers
Only few days ago Gen. Hutchinson
issued report on the examination for
promOtlon of officers in the regular
army which reveals state of igno-
rance among many of the candidates
that can only be characterized as dis
graceful. Gen. Hutchinson states that
bad spelling and inability to express
themselves clearly were the failings of
large number of them. Many Of
tnein showed that they were unfit for
the duty of inStructing nom commits
stoned officers and men, owing to being
themselves insufficiently instructed
The general deplores the fact that off,
GERS neglect to keep their military
knowledge UP to date by reading and
study, sas men in other professions
have to do. He describes the results
of the examinations in military engi-
neer1ng, tactics and Topography as
Indifferent the candidates generally
railing to appreciate the situations in
the problems given them to solve. the
majority of them ignoring the enemy
or giving him credit for little intelli-
gence.'
Ignorance of British Officers
1T is appalling to reflect what dis
asters such incompetency as Is here
shown would lead us into if we were
engaged in war with a f1rst-class
power--with Russia, for instance, for
the possession Of India
1T should be borne in mind that the
shortcomings to which Gen. Hutchin-
son calls attention indicate not merely
defective military training, but Inn
perfect elementary education. The re-
port, therefore, constitutes quite as
much an indictment of our swell pub
lie schools-Eton, Harrow, Rugby and
such places, where the classes from
whom our officers are drawn are chief
iy educated-as Of the institutions
where they receive their professional
training.
Owing to the shortage of officers
caused by the casualties Of the Boer
war, many young gentlemen-graduate
most Of them Of these public schools
received commissions without passing
the usual examinations. In India large
numbers Of them, according to an Of
ficial report, were found to be so want
Ing in elementary education as to be
Incapable of receiving the ordinary
garrison instruction. Many Of them,
therefore, had to have recourse to the
regimental schoolmasters to remedy the
defects Of expensive educations which
had left them ignorant of the simple
branches Of learning that are obligatory
In the higher grade classes Of the board
schools, as we term our free schools.
Surely no more humiliating report was
ever issued about the officers Of an
army.
Napoleon appraised the relative value
OF brain power and physical power in
warfare at three to one. Taking into
account the enormous strides that have
since been made in the application Of
science to war, Lord Roberts now es-
Inmates 1t ten to one. And yet we con-
tlnue to bestow commissions in the
army on men who are not only ignorant
Of all scientific knowledge, but like
wise OF the very rudiments of an or
dlnary education. The officer class is
not to blame. It has clamored for gem
eral and technical education for the
past fifteen years, but social influences
and false economy are against any re-
form.
''The truth is, our fashionable Eng