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en Atjeli en Onderhoorigheden(1) instructiën, door militaire autori
teiten ontworpen, waarbij vaak bet militair gezag onvoorwaardelijk
ondergeschikt gesteld werd aan het civiel gezag! De voorbeelden
hiervan behoeven te dezer plaatse niet herhaald te worden. Zóó
ver als men in Nederlandsch-Indiê gegaan is, om het militair aan het
civiel gezag ondergeschikt te maken, ging men zelfs en dit wil
wat zeggenin Britscli-Indië niet. In de „Bengal army regulations"
vonden wij de verhouding tusschen het militair en civiel gezag in
een o. i. onberispelijk reglement aangegeven, dat voor Nederlandscli-
Indië onvoorwaardelijke navolging verdient.
„The civil officer is vested with authority to call upon the military
commander for the service of the troops under his command, whenever,
in the judgment of sucli civil officer, the public interests of the Govern
ment may require such a measure, and it is the absolute duty of the
military officer to whom such requisition is adressed, whoever and what
ever he may be, forthwith to comply with the same. It is not competent
for him to enter into any discussion upon the merits of the measure pro
posed, or to take any cognizance whatever of its policy, justice, or necessity."
„It is for the civil officer, and him alone, to judge of the policy, the
justice, or the necessity of the measure. For these he alone is respon
sible to the government he serves; and he is not called upon in duty
either to justify his conclusions or to communicate his reasons to the
military officer to whom he may adress the requisitions for troops.
Although such manifestations of confidence and cordiality are always to
he desired, he is only required hij his strict duty to state distinctly (in
writing) the service he desired to see performed and the necessity of
troops for the purpose, and to afford such further information as may
he necessary to enable the officer in command efficiently to perform the
service he is called upon to execute."
„The civil or political officer is not authorized to interfere in anyway
with the formation or details of the force, the military officer being held
responsible for the success of the operations to be undertaken; and it
is for the latter, and for him alone, to judge in what manner the troops
shall effect the object which the civil officer has indicated, and to direct
the force in the execution of the service in which it is engaged."
(1) Zie „Indisch Militair Tijdschrift," jaargang 1SS1, afl. 7, rubriek Boekbeschou
wing.
