The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-07-13
PLANS OF HALDANE
RnoRGANrzATaoN or THE BRITISH
More Eeonomical and ,Emeient Admin fstrsffon win Be strived For-- w. .. Hryah Amonm Listen~
 err Tn the Commona.

| London, July 1z.--war Secretary Hal dane in the House of Commons today announced the Governments plans for a more economical administration and more eff7cient maintenance of the army. Among those present in the House. which was crowded, was William J. | Bryan. who went there especially to | hear Mir. Haldane's speech.
 Broadly the Governments proposal I is to maintain an expeditionary force ! of 150,0O0 men immediately available for war with territorial organisation
 behind It capable of supporting and ex- banding the forces serving abroad. MT. HaIdane's plan contemplated ths | reduction of fhe forces by seven bat btalionst of infantry abroad and three ibattalions at home. Including two bas- ltalions of guards. He proposes to arr frange for one mobilization of sixty ithree batteries of artillery as a proper lcompitnnent of the expedittonary force tout of a total home establishment Of Ininety-nfne batteries, leaving thirty lsix batteries for training purposes. 1 He pointed out that the proposed ex- lpeditionary force will be 5000 rnen lstronger than any expeditionary army EGreat Britain has hitherto attempted Ito organize for foreign service. and will lonIy be possible of attainment if the Ireorganized militia engaged for service lin time of war
 | For home defense. Mir. Haldane adds led. the country must look carefully to 1tha yeomanry and volunteers ana the
 general staff is preparing scheme de- 1ning tile future functions of these ofrces and their administration will be handed oyer to the county orgasiza- ltfons to be formed of partiy nominated land partly of elected members and to be under the presidency of the Lord ILieutanants of the counties.
 It was further proposed that Parlia- .Ifnent hand over annually to each coun- lty association z lump sum of money tfor the organization and maintenance lof the county forces.
 | In the course of his remarks. the lwar Secretary said that the state of 1.-the national forces was highly unsat- lisfactory from the point of view of both cost and organization. He be- tlieved economy and efficiency were not inconsistent with democratic notions. However they might differ on other lsubjects. they were unanimous In the Idesire to Tighten the crushing burdens ldue to arinaments, now resting or Ithenn The British Government desired Ito take it's share in this movement and IwAnts to give it lead. He believed ltha proposed scheme would increase Ethe lighting eficiency of the army by t50 per cent.
 incidentally, Mir. Haldane gave a ig1impse of the Governments views of | 4he recent naval maneuvers. saying ithat nothing had happened during their lprogress which had shaken the belief Iti1at the fleet was adequate to defend lGreat Britain's shores.
 Continuing the War Secretary said The thought that more use ought to be made of the militia as was done by foreign nations and proposed the re- lduction of the regular forces by 10000 linen. a4
 Under his scheme the infantry would 4be formed into SIX divisions of three
 lbrigades each with four cavalry brig lades representing altogether 150,0oo linen, made up of 5e,000 regulars serv- ling with the eolors. 10000 army re-
 Iserve men and 30,000 militia. 1t was
 lalso proposed to maintain as q war es-
 Establishment five guns to every thousand
 irifies and sabres. The older guns would be issued to the volunteers, to enable
 lthem to be organized Into an artillery
 reserve.
 Under the new scheme the ternns of
 lenlistment would be for tho infantry land cavalry seven years with the colors land five with the reserve: for the field Iartillery six years with the colors and
 lsix with the reserve and for the garri-