The Report stage of the Vote for the men of
the Regular Army was considered in the House of Commons on Wed- nesday. The principal criticisms were made by Mr. Wyndham and Mr. Lee, who complained, first, that the strength of the expeditionary force had been reduced by 13,367 men since 1906; secondly, that the number of batteries in the Regular Artillery had been diminished in order to create ammunition columns ; and, thirdly, that the pay of officers was insufficient. Mr. Haldane replied that although the number of men with the colours had been reduced, they had been organised and brought into proper proportion. So far as numbers were con.. cerned, only something like two and a half divisions could be mobilised in 1906 as compared with six divisions to-day. With regard to the Artillery, he explained that the effect of what he had done was that seventy or eighty batteries could now be mobilised for the expeditionary force, as against forty-two, the former number. As to the pay of officers, Mr. Haldane said the problem was a very complicated and difficult one and would have to be dealt with sooner or later. But there were a considerably larger number of staff appoint- ments available for officers of a certain rank now than there were formerly.
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