PERSONAL EXPLANATION. (Hansard, 30 June 1873)

§ THE DUKE OF CAMBRIDGE

My Lords, before you proceed to the Business on the Paper, I beg that you will permit me to make a statement of a somewhat personal character. I am the more anxious to do so, because I think that in the interest of the public service it is right that no false impression should be allowed to exist for any length of time respecting any matter which affects the efficiency of such an important branch of the public service as that of the Army. Personally, a high official like myself feels some discomfort, when anything is publicly stated of a questionable character in his Department which is not explained as soon as possible. Under these circumstances, I venture to throw myself upon your Lordships' consideration, whilst I as briefly as possible state to your Lordships what really has occurred, and how far I am 1524 mixed up with it. Some little time ago the noble Duke (the Duke of Richmond) moved for Returns of chest measurements of soldiers recruited since 1870. That Return has since then been presented to your Lordships, and you have had it, no doubt, in your hands. A few days ago a letter appeared in one of the newspapers, in which reference was made to that Return, and a question regarding it has been asked in "another place." From that letter, and from what has occurred in the other House, it would appear that the Return had been designedly prepared, with the object of creating a false impression in this House and before the country. I do not for a moment suppose that any of your Lordships or the country imagines that I, or any officer in my Department, would wilfully put forward any erroneous Return; and I think, when I explain the circumstances, your Lordships will exculpate me, and the officers acting under me, of any intention of doing anything beyond carrying out the wishes and directions of this House. The preparation of all military Parliamentary Papers rests with the Adjutant General's department, and a branch of that department, under the authority of the Inspector General of Recruiting, was directed to prepare the Return. Several of the points connected with this Return were of sufficient importance to be referred to me, and I urged that no delay should take place in its preparation. The Deputy Adjutant General, General Armstrong, a most efficient and zealous officer, on whom, in the absence of my gallant Friend, Sir Richard Airey, the whole duties of the Adjutant General's department have for some time devolved, came to me one morning, and incidentally stated that in preparing the Return it had been found that several regiments had put down under one column, as not coming up to the proper measurement—men who, in his opinion, ought to have been given under another, because, as far as the records showed, they were of the proper measurement. He thought it incorrect that they should be returned as under regulation chest measurement, and for that reason he did not consider the Return as accurate. It was certainly irregular that men should have been passed as being of the regulation chest measurement who were now returned as not being so, and I at once said that if 1525 the Regulations had been properly carried out, I did not know how such a thing could have occurred, and that it was only fair and right that the Return should be prepared according to Regulations. From this, it followed that if the Regulations had not been observed, the Return could not be handed in, except with explanations. In fact, I never contemplated that officers when called upon to carry out the Regulations, should be asked to sign anything but what was strictly in accordance with them. Now, when recruits are enlisted—and I presume the reference is entirely to that—they are measured by the superintending officer in the presence of the medical officer, and that measurement has to be verified by the field officer in charge of a recruiting district. When the latter is satisfied that the two officers have taken the proper measurement, it is inserted in pencil on the attestation paper, which is sent down with the recruit to his regiment, and it is the duty of the commanding officer of the regiment to verify the measurement. If the recruit does not come up to it, he is bound to report it for my information, and to ask whether the man is to be retained; so that it will be seen that it is the commanding officer, and not the surgeon, who would be held responsible for the measurement. The Regulations require a special report of any deficiency in chest measurement to be made to the Adjutant General, for submission to the Commander-in-Chief as to the final disposal of the man. Nothing can be clearer than the Regulations; yet it appears that the men to whom reference is now made have been sent to regiments, and that the regiments now do not accept the chest measurement sent clown with them, but have never reported the circumstance to the Recruiting department or the Adjutant General. Here, I venture to say, a great mistake has been made. I think I can assure your Lordships that nothing more than a mistake has been made. I do not think that there is any reason to suppose that intentional misrepresentation has been attempted; I do not believe that it is anything more than an ordinary office mistake. When the matter was brought to my knowledge, I certainly understood it was only a few men who had been irregularly accounted for in that way, and when, therefore, the Deputy Adjutant General told 1526 me he thought it was only fair they should be returned as of the proper measurement, on the ground that it was only just and according to common sense that men who might have been two years with regiments, without their measurements having been questioned, should not be disturbed, I acceeded to it; but it was never expected or intended that officers should be asked to sign an incorrect Return, and if any officers chose to say men were not of the proper measurement of course it was our duty to inquire into it. It turns out, however, that a considerable number of men are of a different measurement from the proper one. I never saw the Return or the Circular that went out in my name on the subject, and I never intended any Circular to go out. I thought it was a mere ordinary correction, which must frequently occur in an office. Had I been aware how the Return was prepared, I should not have authorized what has been done. As it is, I must throw myself on the indulgence of your Lordships and the country. It is utterly impossible for the Commander-in-Chief to have knowledge of every detail, and until I saw the letter I had not the remotest suspicion that there was anything wrong in the Return. To show your Lordships how very delicate this measurement is, I may mention that I have seen a letter from the surgeon of a regiment, who says that in measuring recruits he is careful to get the minimum circumference of the chest, and measures after expiration, and before inspiration has commenced, and he always finds his measurement less than that pencilled on the attestation sheets by two, three, and sometimes even four inches. When measurements are reported as incorrect, we invariably send down and verify them; but if officers do not report, and do not attend to the details which ought to regulate these proceedings, an unfortunate mistake of this sort may occur. So far as I and the officers who made the Return are concerned, there was no intention of doing anything but what was in accordance with the facts, with the Regulations, and with the objects of the noble Duke in asking for the Return. I hope you will permit me to add, that if there is any subject which would specially attract my attention it is recruiting. Whenever recruiting is bad nobody is so immediately interested in 1527 the matter as the Commander-in-Chief, and I should be the last man to approve men being allowed to enlist who are not what they ought to be.