New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-03-20

- r-,sre was a frenzy for military reform
=. che Roer war. NJ. Brodricl1 organized
= ar,,,, corns which never could be found
outside the debates of Parliament; commit
sea conducted an exhaustive investigation
snecting the lack Of preparation for campaign
and the blunders committed in tactics and STRAIT
..,,. a triun,virate consisting OF Lord Esther, Sir
Iohn Fisher and Sir George Clarke reconstructed
ere war Office and the conditions of imperial
so6e,ce on entirely new lines: and Mr.. Arnold
FORSTER started in with the idea that India and
,.a colonies would be safe with a long-service
.,,x, AZ reduced strength. and that a short
re-,,,ca army would be adequate for home de-
f.noe With two-year men required TO remain
civ wears with the reserves and with auxiliary
fo-oes Of diminished number but increased
eesr,encv If the War Office needed a thorough
sbalrine-up. this has been had; but it cannot be
+r,,bfrIly said that public confidence in the
,,il,+arv resources Of the kingdom has been
+rangtbened. 1t is generally believed that after.
al these processes Of reorganization the auxili-
arv forces do not form trustworthy a line of
defence they did when Kruger's ultimatum
was received and that there has been an actual
shrinkage Of resources for sending over sea a
great army IN a supreme emergency. If Lord
ssIborne has increased the efficiency. of the
navy without exhibiting the country before the
world as defenceless and vulnerable. he has
been a more practical reformer and a better
patriot than the military marplots
This is what has been done by good admins
fration at the Admiralty. Lord Selborne. with Sir
John Fisher behind him. has both strengthened
snd cheapened the navy by looping off the dead
wood, by substituting wideawake admrals for
veteran nartinets, as well as first class war
ships for Anticipated hulks, by Fastening promo
ton and appealing to the ambitions Of promising
officers. and by redistributing the forces so that
the nation is always prepared for war and in
sound condition of defence Instead of i'm
pairing public confidence he has increased it
by keeping in commission only the best ships:
and at the same time he has been enabled to
reduce the number of officers and men in SER
vice and to cut down the naval estimates at least
100000. Moreover. the fine old blue sea
theory that England is not safe unless it has a
feet equal TO those OF any three maritime
powers has been temporarily taken in for re-
pairs. Although America and Germany are lay
ing down two battleships this year and France
will probably build many only one is pro-
posed by the British Admiralty, and the con-
struction programme is moderate in other
respects. Unlike the military reformers who
have had a perverse talent for discrediting the
good work really done in the Boer war. the
Admiralty shows its own confidence in the in
vncibility Of the British navy, incomparably
the most powerful af1oat, by refraining from
matching the combined energies of three friendly
powers and from charging unnecessarily the
resources Of every class of war vessel under
the flag. Lord Selborne is the first reformer
or reorganizer who has squared the circle by
increasing the efficiency of a fighting service
ana at the same time cutting down expenses
The taxpayers ought to put up monument to
him. l. N F.