In the House of Lords on Tuesday Lord St. Davide
criticized the Headquarters Staff and several other Staffs of the British Armies in France. Appointments were made because of a man's social position or wealth, or because he could give a good " tip " for a horse-race. Ladies visited Head- quarters, and so on and so forth. Lord Haldane defended the Headquarters Staff as being as bard-working and com- petent a hod; as there was in the world. Lord Sydenham suspected that the Staff work was inadequate at both Neuve Chapelle and Loos. We noticed at the time that Sir John French's despatch about Loos made no mention of reserves. But, though we know none of the facts, we are strongly inclined to be guided by the recollection that in all wars the Staffs have been the target of irresponsible or calumnious gossip and uninformed criticism. The Duke of Wellingion notoriously suffered from these causes, and Lord Roberts was not exempt.
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