§ *SIR JOHN COLOMB (Great Yarmouth)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether any delay took place in the despatch from the United Kingdom of troops to South Africa during the month of October, 1899, and, if any such delay did take place, whether the official reports show that it was attributable to causes relating to ships, or to arrangements concerning military forces which the ships were to embark, or to both causes combined; and, in any case, whether experience furnished by the actual test of war during that month confirmed the opinion expressed by Lord Wolseley, on 20th May, 1887, that, in the 1140 event of two army corps and a cavalry division having to be sent abroad, the men could be got ready to be put on board the ships before the ships could be got ready.
§ MR. BRODRICKNo delay took place either in the preparation of the troops for embarkation or in the provision of the ships by the Admiralty to carry them. It is obvious that, as considerable time must necessarily be required to adapt modern ships to the transport of the large number of horses belonging to an army corps, in that respect alone the troops would be ready before the ships.