" We are now told that the Commander-in-Chief has proposed
to change all this; and with the object of making the Imperial service troops more really efficient for all military purposes, to place, them under the Army Department and under his own super- vision. We can imagine few things more unwise, or more certain to make the native Princes of India suspicious of our intentions and less loyal to our Government. Another illustration of the manner in which changes of system which, from the point of view of military efficiency alone, may be desirable, but which on other grounds are inexpedient, has been given by Lord Kitchener him- self in a Minute dated January 1, 1905. Among his complaints against the interference of the Military Department of the Government of India, he stated that he had wished to establish a system under which the native troops should themselves build the lines they live in. He was, Lord Kitchener writes, informed in reply by the Government of India ' that they used to be taught to do this, but the practice had been discontinued some years back, because the soldiers did not
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