On Friday, Jane 21st, Mr. Campbell-Bannerman announced to the House
of Commons that the Duke of Cambridge had resigned the post of Commander-in-Chief, and that the resignation would take effect on October 1st. That is good news. The Duke's continuance in office would have delayed a reorganisation of the War Office of vital importance to the efficiency of the Army. Mr. Campbell-Bannerman announced that the post would not be abolished, but turned into a five- year appointment with diminished duties. We trust, how- ever, that the new Ministry will not carry out this scheme, but will adopt instead the proposals of the Hartington Com- mission, and make the non-Parliamentary and permanent head of the Army a working General directly responsible to the Secretary of State with the title of Chief of the Staff. That, by the way, is an office which must not be held by a Royal Duke. It would be impossible to make a Prince of the Blood really responsible for bad adminis- tration.
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