Lord Haldane, who followed, largely qualified the testimonial given to
the Army by Lord Morley. The Curragh officers had not disobeyed orders, but they had gone so far as to ask for guarantees, which was "deplorable." At the same time, Lord Haldane administered a salutary reproof to those who have talked light-heartedly of democratizing and recasting the Army
"Any attempt to reform the Army—to make it what is called a democratic Army—would be attended by enormous difficulties. It would take fifteen years and a large expenditure of public money to put the Army on a different footing, and then you would not get anything to equal the splendid service that we get to-day. That is why I should regard it as almost a crime to bring the Army into political controversy."
He declared " in the most pointed way" that the measures taken by the Cabinet were purely preventive. That certain gallant but " unfortunate" officers misunderstood the Govern- ment's intentions was due to the fact that, taking no interest in politics, they were misled by continuous streams of mis- representation in the Press. The new Army Order was necessary to restore confidence in the Army, and make it clear that the Army had no concern with policy and that there should be no bargaining over orders.
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