The Washington times., 1906-03-30
SCOT WILL REFORM
ENGLAND'S ARMY
Herculean Task for New
Head of War Bureau.
HAiDANE is A WORKER
Impresses Friends and Foes Alike With
His Ability-PopulaI in
Parliament.

LONDON. March 30.-England has at
last found the right man 10 reorganize
her army. That is what nearly every
body is saying OF Richard Burden Hal
dane. the new Liberal secretary OF state
for war. There could be no more strik-
ing evidence Of his extraordinary ca
pacit. 70 impress others with confidence
in his ability 10 perform the herculean
task he has undertaken than the chorus
of approval from political friends and
foes alike which greeted his speech in
the house OF commons introducing the
army estimates. And yet. though repre-
senting . q administration pledged 10
retrenchment and reform. he has re-
duced the empires army bill only BY s
beggarIy $500 and demands Sis. .sSO. .OoO
TO keep II going another year. In al
most any other man that would have
been regarded as confession Of failure
Mr.. Haldane Is Cautious
But with Mr.. Haldane it is different
4 am convinced that if l do anything
in a hurry" he frankly told the house
II shall do it badly The nation has
had enough of army reforms in d hurry.
After listening to Mr.. HaIdane's state
ment of the principles that Will guide
him in remOdeling the army. by an over
whelming parliamentary maiority ne has
received mandate to go ahead with
his scheme After all. il is not the big
bill which the country pays for its army
that causes 50 much dissatisfaction. as
the knowledge that it fails so lamenta-
bly, in getting any c-my that comes
within measurable distance OF being
worth what it costs. What Jackie
Fisher has done in the admiralty. il
is believed that Mr.. Haldane will do
in the war Office Anyhow. the country
is willing TO wait and give him a fair
chance 20 make good
Is Scotchnan by Birth.
Not many people in America. proba-
bly,. had ever heard of Mr.. Haldane be-
fore he was made secretary of state for
war. but he arrived here several DAYS
ago. Like most OF the members of the
cabinet. he is by birth a Scotchman
He was hrst elected to parliament in
1885. and had long been marked out for
high Office by those in the inner secrets
OF the Liberal party Physically he is
a man of considerable substance: intel
leetualIy he is one of the giants of poll
tics. BY profession he Is a lawyer, and
one of the ablest at the bar.
Like BalfOur. he finds recreation in
philosophy-he has translated Schopen-
hauer. and puDIlsired Studies in Phil
osophic Criticism inlallnost every
other respect. physically and mentally.
he is the antithesis of the e&-prime min
ister He is a man of strong convic-
tions with a gift of clear statement.
Nobody ever has 10 ask twice what he
means Square Of shoulde,- and COM
fortabIy rotund, there is little of the stu
dent and nothing Of the ascetic in his
appearance. And vet the broad. mas
terfui, clean-chaven face, with its high
full forehead. over which there curves a
little hook of a curl-the miniature OF
that which adorned the brow of the
greatest of all miiitarists-tei!s Of great
mental force He is a prodis,ious work
er with a great capacity for mastering
facts. and q memory that retains them
without the aid of notes. As lawyer.
he was once involved in a famous trial
concerning cordite. He emerged from