In Cheltenham and Brighton and other favoured towns there are streets of nothing but retired British generals--squares of retired British generals--whole crescents of British generals.

Abroad there are _pensions_ with a special scale of charges for British generals.

In Switzerland there has even been talk of reserving railway compartments "For British Generals Only." In Germany, when you do not say distinctly and emphatically on being introduced that you are not a British general, you are assumed, as a matter of course, to be a British general.

During the Boer War, when I was residing in a small garrison town on the Rhine, German military men would draw me aside and ask of me my own private personal views as to the conduct of the campaign.

I would give them my views freely, explain to them how I would finish the whole thing in a week.
"But how in the face of the enemy's tactics--" one of them would begin.
"Bother the enemy's tactics," I would reply.