§ MR. LABOUCHEREI beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether the publication in the current number of Harper's Magazine of the article on "The Standing Army of Great Britain," by Lord Wolseley, constitutes an infraction of the last sentence of paragraph 11, section vi., of the Queen's Regulations, which runs as follows:—
Officers and soldiers are prohibited from publishing or communicating to the Press without special authority, either directly or indirectly, information relative to the numbers, movements, or operations of the Troops, or details regarding fortifications, armaments, or experiments made in connection with military matters. They are not to attempt to prejudice questions under investigation by the publication, anonymously or otherwise, of their opinions.
§ MR. E. STANHOPEI am inclined to think that the article in question does constitute an infraction of the Queen's Regulations; but, independently of that consideration, Her Majesty's Government are of opinion that members of the Headquarters Staff are bound specially to abstain from discussing in public questions connected with the War Department. I have been in communication with Lord Wolseley on the subject, and he informs me that the article in question is more than a year old. I am quite sure that it was far from his intention to violate any rule on the subject, and that such a case is not likely to recur.