'A telegram published to-day an-ounces that the formations adopted during the Autumn Manceuvres were closer than any which have been practised in Great Britain during the last fourteen years, and allusion is made, incidentally, to the exaggerated exten- S07) sions resorted to in South Africa.
With all respect to our Home authorities it appears doubtful whether they are not allowing themselves to be carried away, now, by the last object lesson, as much were by other campaigns, Te does not follow because the Russians and Japanese fought almost in close order, that extensions are to be condemned; each army adopted tactics which it considered most suitable to the occasion. The shooting of each army was very much inferior to that of the Boers, for instance, and the contour of the battlefields favoured close formation. The wonderful infantry charges of the Japanese would never have been checked by the Ru if the latter had extended to any great extent. But we have the opinion of General Ian Hamilton that the Japanese army would never have crossed the Yalu if it had been opposed by 20,000 Boers at that point. So we may assume that close order is only possible when the enemy fails somewhat in marksmanship A unrich thinner line, therefore, is requi ed if the troops. are able to shoot with accuracy: all of which proves the value of Lord Robert's teaching.
The British Army nev fights at 't] home, and abroad the conditions vary 80 much that it is to be hoped that the lessons learnt in the Soudan, Ashantee, South Africa and Somaliland will not be forgotten or ignored because a strong Power was defeated by another strong Power fighting in close form tion—for one sidle had to be victorious.
The principles of the new regime will eventually reach Shanghai. Here one phase of action only is possible, and, as it is not to prepare for possible contingencies abroad, it is to be hoped that the results of earlier lessons will not be blotted out by those of the Russo-Japanese War; for the Soudan campaign would illustrate our requirements as well.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.