PREVENTION OF WASTAGE. 45 



Rumania, Bulgaria and Servia were all importing countries 

 from Hungary, for Army purposes. 



After the disrupture of Russia, Germany was able to arrange 

 a limited number of animals from the Ukraine, but, compared 

 with, other countries Russian animals are small ; Polish horses, 

 for instance, are chiefly of the riding type. 



So that taking all in all, the resources of the Central Powers 

 were bad. The efficiency of an Army very greatly depends on 

 its horse supply, and Germany must have known, unless her 

 vision was so clouded with arrogance or distorted through 

 megalomania, that her feet were but clay. In a matter of 

 horses she never had a dog's chance of successful issue in a 

 protracted war of unusual severity, even though the Schlieifen 

 policy of over-running Belgium and a portion of Northern 

 France in the early days was calculated to bring a certain 

 number of useful animals into her net. 



Bemounting in relation to Wastage. To know exactly where 

 to go for supply, precisely the class of animal to buy, and to have 

 suitable experienced purchasing officers are essential factors of 

 Remounting — if wastage and inefficiency are to be avoided. 



We bought our experience very dearly during the war of 

 two years and seven months in South Africa. During that 

 war 518,794 horses and 150,781 mules and donkeys were 

 provided. 347,007 horses and 53,339 mules and donkeys were 

 expended during the campaign, and 13,144 horses and 2816 

 mules and donkeys were lost on voyage. The total expenditure 

 on horses, mules and donkeys, exclusive of freight, amounted to 

 £15,339,142. A Court of Enquiry, appointed by order of the 

 Commander-in-Chief, was held in 1902 to enquire into the 

 administration and organisation of the Remount Department,, 

 the purchase of animals during that war, their transport 

 overseas, and the causes of the enormous losses during the 

 campaign. 



The salient facts of the findings of the Court and its Com- 

 mittees were briefly summarised as follows : — 



{a) The normal duties of the Remount Department in peace 

 were confined to transactions with dealers in the United 

 Kingdom. To meet additional requirements of horses 



