On Wednesday in the Commons Colonel Seely made a long
statement on the Army. We have reviewed fully elsewhere what he said on our aerial defences, but must summarize here the rest of his speech. Of the Territorial Force the Government could not say, " Unless you fill up the gap of sixteen per cent. you are in imminent danger of disaster." That would not be true. Only a large invading force could deal with our existing forces, and such a force could not escape the vigilance of the Navy. Nevertheless the Government had decided to appoint a Committee of the Imperial Defence Committee to reconsider the matter of invasion, and Mr. Balfour had consented to serve on it. In order to facilitate promotion from the ranks in the Regular Army, the Government had decided to allow a ranker on pro- motion £150 instead of £100 for his outfit, and then a special allowance of £50 a year for three years. Additions were also to be made to the pay of all officers up to the rank of lieutenant-colonel. There would be no sumptuary laws to keep down officers' expenses, but the recommendations of Lord Derby's Committee would be put into effect. The extra cost would be between £100,000 and £150,000 a year. We record these increases of pay with the greatest pleasure. The Army is now one of the hardest-worked professions, and although the
circumstances are no doubt peculiar, the pay should at least resemble remotely the pay of a professional man.
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