We congratulate Mr. Brodrick and Lord Roberts most heartily on
their determination to reduce expenditure in the Army, and to make soldierly qualities and intelligence, and not a long purse, the essential requirements for the most difficult branch of military service,—i.e., the cavalry. The new Army Order abolishes the separate list of candidates for cadetships in the cavalry and Foot Guards. We do not, of course, deny that many, probably the majority, of the officers in the cavalry and Guards, in spite of their being bad exami- nees, have in reality as good intellectual qualities as those in the Line ; but whatever way the question is looked at, it must be wrong to place your intellectual residuum in the cavalry. There ought to be no room in the cavalry for such persons, nor should it be possible to say, as it has been said hitherto: "He is too stupid for the Line, but he will do for the cavalry." The next step required will be to cut down the obligatory expenses of the cavalry. It is a scandal that an officer in the cavalry is practically required to have an allowance of 2600 beyond his pay, and that even then he has to be very careful. Expenses which are inseparable from a horse regi- ment should be borne by the State. None other should be obligatory either directly or indirectly. Those who think that the social standing of the cavalry will be lowered by the reduction of the expenses are entirely mistaken. Under the existing system the men who cannot afford to go into the cavalry are the young men of good family whose fathers do not need to buy their sons social distinction by enormous allowances. The men who go in are very often the sons of fathers who are willing to pay 21,000 a year in order that they may boast of a boy in the Lancers, Hussars, or Dragoons. Social distinction is not to be obtained under such conditions as these ; though doubtless the sons of many socially aspiring parents are decent enough young fellows in themselves.
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