On Friday, March 15th, the House went into Committee of
Supply on the vote for 15:5,403 men on the Home and Colonial establishments, exclusive of the Indian Army, and Mr. Camp- bell-Bannerman made the usual statement on the Army Estimates. The Army was, he declared, not standing still, but increasing in efficiency, though the Estimates for this year were practically the same as last. In reality, there was a reduction of £22,100. The chief alteration contemplated was an increase in the artillery of seven field batteries or forty- eight guns. This even would not give us the proportion of guns to men adopted on the Continent, but it would be a step in the direction of that standard. We must, of course, be thankful for this change, but it is really a scandal that we should be behind in this arm. No conscription is required to give us a proper supply of artillery. During the year, 33,698 recruits had been enlisted, and the Reserve now stands at 84,732, and it would probably be kept steadily at 80,000. As to the material, we were keeping pace with the march of scientific improvement. Mr. Campbell-Bannerman's general optimism may perhaps not be altogether misplaced. We are not among those who believe that the service has gone to the devil. Still we do hold that the nation does not get full value for its money. Put a ruthless reformer into the War Office, abolish the Horse Guards and the Royal influences, and reform the pension system, and the present Estimates could be made to give us fifty thousand men more than we have now, and a higher standard of efficiency throughout the Army.
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