On • Tuesday Lord Haldane brought about a useful debate
in the Upper House on the administrative changes lately announced 'by the War Office. His aim was to find out the expected results and to urge that they should be tested in peace time. Lord Onslow answered for the War Office. One of the chief questions that arise is whether each military member of the Army Council should be represented in the field. Should, for example, the Master General of the Ordnance be represented by a Deputy-Master ? Lord Haldane thinks that the Commander-in-Chief and his Chief-of-Staff should be free to apply themselves to strategy and tactics ; if the Staff is overloaded with these new officers it would distract them rather than -leave them freer. Lord Onslow's defence of the charges was logical, and Lord Cavan gave his approval from experience as a Commander. To us it seems that the men who hold the appointments must make or mar• their success in war, but we are glad that Lord Haldane's wisdom is applied to the task of trying to find the best system in theory.
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