GENERAL LESSONS OF THE CAMPAIGN 215 



" I look upon the drag-hounds as one of the 

 most important institutions at the College," so said 

 General Hildyard. 



Let us think a minute why he said this. 



Because the raison d'etre of the Staff College is 

 to turn out Staff Officers for active service. Many, 

 too many, Officers arrive there, never having ridden 

 over a fence, and some not even over rough ground. 

 The drag teaches them to do both. Voila tout ! 



We most sincerely hope that there may never be 

 a Commandant of the College who thinks differently. 



This reminds us, with a shock, that there are not 

 wanting indications that there is less hunting done 

 in the army generally than there was a few years 

 ago, but what the exact reasons are, it is difficult 

 to say. There is more work, of course, but this is 

 right, for soldiering is beginning at last to be 

 generally regarded as a profession ; besides, more 

 work need not necessarily mean less play. There 

 are many more Courses, and many Officers away on 

 various jobs ; this makes leave harder to get and 

 somewhat uncertain when got. Some Commanding 

 Officers are bad about hunting leave, and will not 

 be good about soldier grooms. This, we consider, 

 proves them absolutely unfitted to command, for 

 presumably they do not even know what are the 

 essential characteristics for the making of a fighting 

 Officer. 



Lastly, and, we are almost afraid, chiefly, perhaps 

 the reason of the decline of hunting in the army is 

 that we are beginning to get into it a different class 



