96 OUR INFANTRY. 



a division, or even a brigade in the last 

 European war, while young enough now to go 

 through the fatigues of a campaign. 



Our present Commander-in-Chief is suffi- 

 ciently talented and experienced, whilst suffi- 

 ciently active to command an army in the field, 

 but he is getting old. 



In the absence of any plan for carrying out 

 this alteration in our system of military policy, 

 I submit that the Commander-in-Chief should 

 invite officers to send to the Horse Guards 

 their opinions in writing on certain military 

 questions. These to be named, and their 

 nature briefly explained in letters sent to the 

 officers commanding regiments in Great Britain, 

 to be by them communicated to the officers 

 under their command. Henceforth, I shall 

 call these opinions reports, and I use the word 

 invite, because to command in this case would 

 be improper, seeing how very few officers in 

 any army are calculated to discuss great mili- 

 tary questions who are yet excellent executive, 

 or regimental officers. The invitation should 

 be addressed only to officers who have attained 

 the rank of captain and of not less than 

 two years' standing. Younger officers, when 



