of his dream.  He had a terrible word with which he was wont to emphasise the fact of disenchantment.  How often did one read “General French expressed himself as ‘fairly’ well pleased with what he saw”?  A withering qualitative.  French was determined to infuse the whole army with his own professional love of efficiency.  To that end he phrased his judgments with extraordinary care.  His remarks were as nicely aimed and as carefully timed as his cavalry charges.  Nor did they lack shattering force on occasion.

After five years of “tuning up” the army, French took command of its administration.  In 1912 he was appointed Chief of the Imperial General Staff, a body formed on the lines of the efficient German General Staff.  Of the nature and value of the reforms instituted under his direction it is too early yet to speak.  Suffice it to say that in the European War they have met the almost intolerable strain with signal success.  For once we presented to the Continent the unparalleled spectacle of a War Office “ready for action.”

In particular Sir John French encouraged originality of thought among his officers by frankly seeking critical contributions for a new service journal, and by putting various opportunities for individual enterprise in their way.

In the midst of these invaluable if slightly uncongenial administrative activities, Sir John French was brought to a tragic standstill.  A political intrigue cut across his soldier’s life, and ended its usefulness for the time being.  At this early date it is extremely difficult to disentangle the rights and wrongs of the Gough incident.  But there is no need to enter into the political aspect of the case here.  Suffice it to deplore the sticky mess of party politics which threatened to gulf a great career.

[Page Heading:  THE ULSTER CRISIS]

In the month of March the Government believed that they had serious reason to expect disturbance in Ireland.  Accordingly, General Sir Arthur Paget was summoned to the War Office to consult his military chiefs.  Apparently, General Paget was instructed—­so far as can be gathered in the absence of documentary evidence—­to lay before his officers a certain choice of action.  He accordingly called a meeting of his officers, whom he informed that “Active operations were to be begun against Ulster; that he expected the country to be in a blaze by Saturday (March 21); and that he was instructed by the War Office to allow officers domiciled in Ulster to disappear, but as regards others that any who resigned would be dismissed.”  The officers were given two hours to make their decision.  Out of a total of 72 officers in the Brigade, 59 “would, respectfully, and under protest,” prefer to be dismissed, while five claimed exemption on the ground of being domiciled in Ulster.