20 JANUARY 1923, Page 26

THE ARMY QUARTERLY. (Clowes. 7s. 6d. net.)

There are many good articles in the January number, notably an account of the defeat of the Bolshevik invasion of Poland in August, 1920, when British Labour leaders threat- ened a revolution in aid of Trotsky, who sought to destroy Polish liberties. But the layman will be specially interested Iii the temperate and judicious article by Brigadier-General J. E. Edmonds on "Generals and the Government." He holds with Jomini that "the Government should will the Ithd, the generals choose the means ; policy, having fixed the end, should not dictate to strategy its choice of means." But he adds that "policy must sometimes overstep the ifividing line" and forbid an operation which strategy would favour—like the landing at Alexandretta, instead of at ilallipoli, which the late Lord Kitchener proposed. Lincoln probably prolonged the Civil War by withdrawing part of NeClellan's troops to cover Washington ; but he learnt iiisdom from his error and declined to interfere with Grant's plans. On the other hand, General Edmonds observes,

In 1914-18 interference with the Commanders-in-Chief 'seemed to increase as the war progressed."