PURCHASING 307 



have to be men of the greatest experience, otherwise in 

 the next war the collapse of the transport, as heretofore, 

 may well be anticipated. 



It is no easy matter to formulate a system of trans- 

 port, and it would be presumption on my part to put 

 forward a scheme, which in order to meet the varied 

 requirements, under diverse conditions of climate, 

 country, circumstances, and warfare, that our troops 

 are called upon to cope with in all parts of the globe 

 would have to be based on such broad lines as would 

 enable a peace establishment to be rapidly expanded 

 and readily concentrated in time of war. 



In fact it seems to me fighting, as we have to, Formation 

 in countries where wheeled transport cannot, and pack 

 animals have to, be used that the formation of an 

 establishment such as I have suggested, where officers 

 and men could be taught the ways, not only of camels, 

 but of mules, donkeys, bullocks, &c., would be not only 

 practicable but feasible ; for I maintain that a transport 

 officer, to be competent, ought to thoroughly understand 

 all animals that he is likely to come- in contact with. 

 In fact, I go further and say, as I remarked before, 

 that all transport officers should go through a proper 

 veterinary course and become qualified vets. For 

 where on service can you ever obtain the services of a 

 vet., and when do you ever have any medicines given 

 you ? I have often been in charge of a large number 

 of animals, sometimes over 500, in the wilds without 

 a drug of any sort. What we want in peace time is 

 the nucleus of a proper transport department, which on 

 the advent of war would be capable of immediate ex- 

 pansion and development ; and to my thinking there is 



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