18 MARCH 1922, Page 3

In spite of SirHenry Wilson's very able and interesting speech

we feel that there' is more danger in spending than in saving. If our greatest danger is national bankruptcy, as we believe it is, why accept certain extermination, owing to financial collapse, in order to avoid other dangers which are admittedly great ? We are reminded of & remark by M. Thiers, whnexclaimed on

one occasion when he was being reproached with the course he had taken in the Revolution of 1848, "Why, if I had done what you suggest the monarchy would have fallen " But that, of course, is exactly what did happen I The most useful, indeed the only, statesmanlike course in our opinion is to make up our minds that we can have only a comparatively low ration of money for the Army and that we can and must produce out of that ration a really competent weapon. The thing can be done. Necessity will show the way. Of course, to use the money most wisely, everybody interested in the Army must be kept very much on the alert and up to the mark. From this point of view such criticism, bold and clear, as Sir Henry Wilson could turn on the debates about the Army would be invaluable.