We cannot believe that there is any truth in the
rumour published by the Admiralty and Horse Guards Gazette, and referred to by the Pall Mall Gazette. It is to the effect that the Duke of Connaught is to succeed the Duke of Cambridge as Commander-in-Chief. That would be an act of folly which the new Ministry is not the least likely to commit. They are, we believe, sincerely anxious to have a strong and efficient Army, knowing that to be a matter of vital importance to the national welfare. They know, also, that responsibility in the permanent official head of the Army is absolutely essential. But it is impossible to make a Royal Commander-in-Chief responsible. You could not hold him responsible for maladministration without shaking the Monarchy. When a Royal Prince is concerned, it becomes everybody's business to declare him not responsible, and to prevent dangerous and disagreeable things being said against the Royal Family. Even if the Duke of Connaught were the equal of Lord Wolseley, Lord Roberts, Sir Evelyn Wood, or Sir Redvers Buller, in experience or ability, which admittedly he is not, he would be a most improper person to put as the permanent official head of the Army. Depend upon it, the country at large realises this instinctively. The Government will make their first mistake, and a big one, if they appoint a Royal Duke to control the War Office. The nation is intensely loyal to the Queen and Royal Family, and in our opinion rightly so, but this does not make them in the least inclined to tolerate the sacrifice of the military interests of the Empire to a perhaps not unnatural, though much mis- taken, sense of annoyance in what in newspaper language is called " exalted quarters." It used to be said, " It's the Queen's Army and the Queen's Navy, but it's the National Debt." That somewhat one-sided way of regarding matters is, however, out of date. It is now quite as much the National Army and the National Navy.
