Lord George Hamilton contributes a letter to Tuesday's Times in
regard to Army and Navy expenditure which will, we trust, receive the close attention of all those who care for the national safety, military, naval, and financial. His main contention—and we believe it to be perfectly sound—is that at the present moment the Army is entrusted with duties which can only be effectively performed by the Navy. All the forts, floating protection, and marine defences of our naval bases, arsenals, and coaling stations are at present under the control of the War Office. Lord George Hamilton goes on to state that for many years he has urged the transfer of these duties to the Admiralty, but this reform has always been thwarted by the combined opposition of the naval and military administrative officials. This opposition, however, is not based on essentials, and can, and ought to be, overcome. "I also believe that it would tend to diminish in the aggra- gate the present expenditure of the two services The present system is ridiculous and unsafe, and, so long as it continues, neither expenditure nor ingenuity can counteract its increasing risks and dangers." We entirely agree. Until the proper work of the Navy has been differentiated from that of the Army there can never be either economy or safety. It is disheartening to think that "the experts" in the two Services have for so long been allowed to override the dictates of common-sense. It is another example of the fact that what is very often wanted is not less, but more civilian control.
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