ng no proper understanding between those who had intimate
knowledge of what was required by the army and those who were
responsible for manufacture.

[Sidenote: Sir Henry Brackenbury's appointment.]

During the three years that Lieutenant-General Sir Henry Brackenbury
had been President of the Ordnance Committee at Woolwich he had been
impressed by the unsatisfactory working of the system and, on being
offered the appointment of Director-General of Ordnance, in November,
1898, he urged that the direction of the ordnance factories should be
transferred to the holder of that appointment. The matter was
discussed by the Cabinet and, on its being decided to make the
transfer, Sir H. Brackenbury took up the appointment in February,
1899. The transfer was effected by the Order in Council of March 7th,
1899, which enumerated the duties with which the Director-General of
Ordnance was charged,[40] and included in them that of the direction
of the manufacturing departments of the army. The financial control of
the factories still remained with the Financial Secretary.

[Footnote 40: The duties are detailed in Sir Henry
Brackenbury's reply to the Royal Commission, A. 1,555.]

[Sidenote: State of ordnance stores.]

The Secretary of State himself had felt some concern as to the
condition of affairs in the Ordnance department and it was on his
initiative that Sir Henry Brackenbury was selected to set matters
right. On taking up the duties of Director-General of Ordnance, the
new chief commenced an enquiry into the condition of the armament and
the state of reserves of all ordnance stores. In the early months of
the year the greater part of his time and attention was taken up by
the important question of replacing the obsolete armament of our sea
defences. From June onwards the whole energies of the department were
directed towards meeting the requirements of the force which might
possibly have to take the field. It was not until the despatch of this
force that the true barrenness of the land came to be revealed, and
melancholy was the outlook it presented.

[Sidenote: Warning to G.Os.C.]

Early in 1899 the Director-General of Ordnance issued confidential
instructions to General Officers Commanding districts regarding
special scales of clothing and equipment for the field force
contemplated for service in South Africa. These instructions enabled
demands to be prepared, so that they could be put forward withou