22 FEBRUARY 1902, Page 3

The Army Estimates were placed in the possession of the

House of Commons on Monday. They are chiefly remark- able for the fact that although the amount asked for is the large sum of 269,310,000, the war expenditure is expected to be less in the coming than in the current financial year by over twenty-three and a half millions. Last year Mr. Brodrick asked in all for 292,915,000. The reduction is partly to be accounted for by the fact that we have withdrawn most of our forces from China ; this accounts for a decrease of £1,810,000. But of course the main reduction is due to the War Office's expectation that it will be unnecessary to make provision for maintaining our army in South Africa at its present strength for more than "between eight and nine months" of the coming financial year.