Mr. Haldane delivered an interesting inaugural address at the War
Office on Friday week to the Committee recently appointed to advise the Army Council on all matters affecting the spiritual and moral welfare of the Army. Mr. Haldane admitted that the convening of the Committee was a novel, and even a, bold, experiment, but he justified it on the ground that no soldier fought his best who was not an idealist. As it was their guiding principle to prepare for war in time of peace, organisations which assisted the soldier in the religious side of his life had always been deemed of importance. "Unless a man was capable of having kindled in him the sacred flame of religion he would not be a great leader, for it was religion that made him forget himself and his individu- ality and become conscious of the great realities when he was face to face with death." Apart from the broad principles which constituted a common ground on which ministers and laymen of divergent creeds but of like purpose could work together, the education of the soldier, his recreations, his surroundings in the hospital and the canteen, the conditions of his employment,—all these were things in which the practical experience of men of the world and ministers of religion came together and were closely interlaced. In regard to practical suggestions, Mr. Haldane stated that he wished to give the Committee absolute freedom as to their methods of work. What he did hope was that when they came to any conclusions they would keep in constant communication with himself or those who, were responsible for the administration of the Army, so that they might do what they could to render the work effective.
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