10 MARCH 1917, Page 3

"You might think," Mr. Churchill added somewhat disjointedly, " if

you wished, that all Generals were geniuses and all civilians harpies, unless they happen to be journalists." We confess to wondering where Mr. Churchill comes in. He is not exactly a General, though we understand he took command at Antwerp. He can hardly be called a civilian, as he began life as a soldier and only a short time ago was Colonel in command of an infantry unit.

In 1900 he was a journalist in South Africa. Wo really do not know how to place him in any of these categories. We suspect that the only possible description of him is that he is a pure and unadulter- ated politician and will so remain. Mr. Churchill next went on to hint some faults and hesitate some dislikes as to the policy of supplying men for the fighting line demurred altogether to the view put forward in many powerful quarters outside the House that all we had to do was to gather together and sweep together every fit man in the United Kingdom who could be made to shoulder a rifle and rush them forward into great battles such as those which we fought on the Somme. The vital part of the problem of man-power was frugality of its use."