It was announced on Monday that Lord Roberts had been
appointed to succeed Lord Wolseley as Commander-in-Chief. That the appointment is as wise as it is popular we do not doubt. Not only is Lord Roberts a hero to the soldier and civilian alike, and so comes to the post with plenty of the driving power that is born of prestige, but he is a first-class military administrator. More, he is essentially a reformer, and
his record in India and in Ireland shows that he has the open mind which is not afraid of thing i because they are new. Though Lord Roberts is so popular, and has shown such tact and ability in all his public a:cts and utterances, it must never be forgotten that he is not a soldier of the flashy, self-adver- tising type. Of course, he may find adverse influences at Pall Mall too strong for him, and may fail to do as much as he would wish, or is necessary, but he certainly will not fail without a good try at putting things right. We note that in the Daily Mail and elsewhere it has been suggested that Lord Roberts should become Secretary of State for War, and so be given a seat in the Cabinet. That, we do not hesitate to say, would be a most disastrous mistake. Lord Roberts is not a party politician, and must not be turned into one by being put in the Cabinet. He will exercise an influence far more appropriate to his character and experience outside than in a Ministry. For this and many other reasons the Secretary of State must he a civilian,—and that civilian, we trust, Mr. Chamberlain. But Lord Roberts should be a real Commander-in-Chief, supreme over the whole Army under the Secretary of State, and not hold the office, as did Lord Wolseley, in so restricted a form as to make him merely one of the members of a Military Board.
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