There is one aspect of the string gent reductions of the British naval and military estimates which appears to have been conveniently ignored in Parliament. What is to become of all the officers of both Services who are now simply thrown out upon the world? It is, no doubt, an excellent thing to economize and a virtuous thing to preach the wickedness of armaments. But the economy and the preaching wear another aspect to those at whose expense, although through no fault of theirs, they are practised, These officers have been engaged in learning their trade from the age of about 18 in_ the Army, younger still in the Navy. And they have learnt no other. Furthermore they were not enticed into it. Entry was made difficult by stiff competitive examination. Their pay has in very few cases been enough for them to live upon, unless they had private means. They are soldiers and sailors because they wished to serve their country, and serve her they mossi nobly did during the great war and in hundreds of little wars before it and nasty jobs, of which civilians have never heard. Now their country, finding that bills are rather heavy, assumes a virtuous air, talks through her nose about disarmament and kicks them out. Imagine what a howl there would be in Shanghai, if the ratepayers decided that the Council was spending too much money and proceeded to thin out the departments. We know that they would never do it, even those who are now loudest in comparing the Municipal employee's lot with their own. But that is what is being done to military and naval officers in England, of whom it is no exaggeration to say that many are secretly in terror of what will become of them when their present commissions run out. By all means out down the estimates, but let there be some decent consideration for the men who were at all times ready to die for their country, bui hardly expected to be made beggars by her.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.