Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-07-28

AN UNUSUAL M|CR0B[
Seems at Work in British War
Office.
PROPOSED ARMY REFORMS
Diversity of Opinion Over the Mill
tary Scheme.
- a v<x-,n rry n 4 c,uyrSnrr ANN rney
PROPOSED ARMY REFORMS
KAISER IN EASTERN AFFAIRS
Comment Over High Order Conferred
Upon Retiring Official Of Ger
many-Women and Monocle.
specia. correspondence Of The Star.

1
LONDON. July a. 1906.
| Some extraordinary microbe seems to In
| fest the British war office. The victims of
| It become increasingly confident that they
possess the genius of military organization
/ in the highest degree. 1t attacks success
! siye secretaries of state with special viru-
| lence In the worst cases 1t induces loss
| of all modesty. all idea of perspective. all
/ sense of proper ton. Each war secretary Is
| confident that he will succeed where his
predecessor has failed.
Although welcomed as a beginning with
| the policy of retrenchment, Mr.. Haldane's
scheme of army reduction has been re-
ceyed in somewhat critical spirit For
! the present at any rate, members seem TO
be almost solely concerned with the finan-
| cial side of the proposals, and although no
precise estimate of the saving to be eff
fected is available there Is an impression
| that 1t will be inconsiderable. certainly for
| a year or two to come. On this point.
| however. 1t Is to be noted that Mr.. Haldane
| expects his scheme to be productive OF
| progressive economies, while at the same
| time yielding a greatly enhanced value Tor
| the money actually expended
| Among the service members disappoint-
| ment is felt at the decision of the war min
4 lister to leave the Indian part OF his PROB
lem untouched. since 1t Is there, as they
| contend that the key of the whole situa-
| ton Is to be found. While quoting these
| opinions as typical OF the views or the
| more critical section of members. l must
say that generally, and especially on the
/ liberal side, the governments proposals are
acknowledged to be q substantial Install
| ment of the policy alike or retrenchment
and reformed organization. On the whoie
| it perhaps augurs well for the prospects or
| the scheme that instead Of being hailed. in
| Mr. Balfour's quaint phrase, as the dawn
| of "a new military heaven and new military
| earth" like some of its ill-starred prede-
cessors it should have been received In
spirit of reasoned appreciation
A member of the house thus expressed
| himself to me on Mr.. Haldane's statement:
| "a great and growing decrease in military
expenditure, yet fighting army more eff
cfent by so per cent-such was the fas-
| chatting prospect which Mr. Haldane
sketched for u.s. The means of attaining
1t seemed to be clear thinking, and the
resoute putting of the question in regard
to each detail of expenditure and each
portion of the service. How does this thing
! Justify its existenceg AS the war secre-
! tary proceeded on his way 1t was evident
| that he carried with him the enthusiastic
assent of the house. Indded, the only
people who did not appear quite happy
were the occupants of the front opposition
/ bench. One could not but pity them as
| they sat silent seeing their last chance
y
| rudely overthrown.
Incidentally, indeed. they were made,
| themselves to look not little foolish by
the revelation OF the fact that while main-
| tanning ninty-three batteries of field artil-
| lery, they had omitted properly to man
more than forty-two. To Increase the real
| fighting strength of this branch of the SER
| vice, to maintain the cavalry as at present,
to reduce the infantry Qncluding two bat
| talions of guards) by 10000 men, to use
| militia (the term being understood in a
| wider sense than Is at present curren0 for
many purposes upon which the energies
| of regulars are at present expended, and to
encourage the volunteers to give more eff
| fective service by associating them more
| closely with the defense of their own dis
| tricts-this. in broad outline, was. as /
| understood it, Mr. Haldane's scheme.
x
Opinion in the lobby is very mixed as to
| the new military scheme. The reduction
secured is the result of an involved rear
| rangement of the land forces, and 1t was
| quite clear that members were, for the most
| part, disposed to reserve their opinions till
| they have an opportunity Of thoroughly
| examining the new proposals on their mer-
| its and in their entirety. unionists, in
| many instances. were not inclined to re-
| gard some Of the suggested notifications
| as impracticable, but they certainly did
not conceal the belief that they may not
prove economical as the secretary for
| war hopes. On the other hand, 1t is very
| doubtful whether the reductions will meet
| the views of the extreme anti-miltarists
| on the ministerial benches. Those gen.
tlemen, even II they affect satisfaction now,
will certainly require further reductions
next year Doubtless, however. the allu-
| sion to the international reduction of arm
aments was purposely made for the bene-
| fit of these enthusiasts.
| The English of recent years have been
prone to look to Germany for the origin
of most OF their International difficulties
and it is a favorite resort to make the
kaiser responsible for the resulting trouble
Sometimes the suspician has no other foun-
| dalton than dislike.
| Yet learn from an undoubted authority
| that the foreign Office Is in possession Of
| extensive evidence of serious German in
| trigue In Cairo, and that il is able to trace
the hand of the German agent in arousing
| the fanaticism of the fellaheen against the
English rule. 1t Is Of immense significance
| that an able German diplomat of well
known English antipathies should sefne
| time ago have been removed from London
to Cairo. an advancement. without other
| explanation. in retrograde direction.
The reason for Sir Edward Greys mystic
nous proneuncement the other day in the
| house of commons was that 1t was consid-
cred opportune to proclaim to Germany and
| to Turkey that this country was fully cog
| infant OF their attempts to arouse disaf-
lection in Egypt. and that 1t was pre-
| pared and determined to take whatever
measures might be necessary for empha-
| sizing the permanency of British hold over
that country.
| Germany has undoubtedly been fishing in
| the troubled waters of Islamisrn, policy
determined upon years ago when the kaiser,
| TO the establishment OF the whole world,
| went as a crusader to the help of Turkey.
and upheld the virtues of the great assassin
! against the world 1nf, wa