The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1878-04-13 00:00:00

NAVAL and MILITARY INTELLIGENCE.

A Cherbourg paper, the Messager, says :—" For some time
the steamer Cross has been embarking for England a more
and more considerable number of horses bought for the
British Government and destined for the remounts of the
English Cavalry. Important contracts have even, it seems,
been concluded with several dealeis in our district for the
supply of several thousand horses within a short period. To
this exportation must, doubtless, be attributed the marked
rise in prices.

The unarmouied iron frigate Euryalus, preparing for sea
at Chatham, is being pushed forward with all despatch,
Admiral-Superintendent Fellowes, CB, wishing to get her
finished at soon as possible. Her fitments are now getting
In such a complete state that she will be commissioned very
shortly after the Monarch.

On the application of the workmen of Chatham Dockyard
the Admiralty have consented to the yard being closed on
the day following Good Fliday, but the men will have to
work up the time.

The measures for the embodiment of the Ist Class Army
Reserve and the Militia Reserve are being actively taken by
the military authorities in the various districts. The men
on being called out will be sent to the regiments which it is
required to strengthen in view of political contingencies.
The Infantry battalions of the line forming the Ist Army
Corps for service are now for the most part complete as re-
gards their establishment of seasoned soldiers. The 78th
and 93rd Highlanders and one or two others are still under
the prescribed numbers, but the ranks will probably be
filled in every instance before the men of the Reserves be-
come available at the end of next week.

Good Friday, which falls on the 19th inst., is the day nnon
which most of the Army Reserve and Militia Reserve men
will report themselves at their allotted stations, as it is the
last day allowed by the Royal Proclamation, and the men
generally, those in good situations especially, will avail
themselves of the time to the extreme limit. Some who
have made Inquiries as to the hour at which they should ap-
pear have been informed that no hour is specified in the
summons, but are advised to be at their posts before noon
in order that they may draw rations for the following 24
hours, and make themselves comfortable in their quarters.
So far from b‘ing reluctant to join the colours are some of
the Reserve men that they have already presented them-
selves with a request to be taken on at once.

At no pexiod for nearly half a century has the Yeomanry
fOne exhibited such a healthy condition as at the present
time, recruiting having been carried on briskly during the
last few months and the drills being especially well attended.
The Secretary of State for War has ordered the annual train-
ing and permanent duty to commence this month, and has
fixed the dates and places for assembling.

Orders have been received at the head-quarters of the
Chatham division Royal Marines, for a large party of men
In be held in readiness to embark on board the armour-
plated turret ship Monarch. The vessel will leave to join
Admiral Ilornby's fleet on the 2nd May.

The Times' Correspondent at Calcutta, telegraphing on
April 7, says :—" All military furloughs have been stopped.
Various rumours, assuming at last more and more definitive
shape, have circulated in the press with reference to a pro-
jected expedition to Bagdad. These, however, turn out at
last to be entirely without foundation, having been officially
contradicted. After a careful consideration of various
regiments of the native army and its strength as a whole, I
am led to the conclusion that immediately on the announce-
ment of war we should be able to despatoh from India a very
large army corps without weakening the frontier or any
other strategic position, or reducing the various forces of
observation maintained to watch and keep in check our too
powerful feudatories. Probably, however, the most import-
ant auxiliary force which India could furnish to an English
army would be a corps of native cavalry, supporting, as it
would, that branch of the service in which England is
numerically weakest, but in which the native army is pre-
eminently strong."—The correspondent enters into an
elaborate calculation to show that a force of 10,000 cavalry
might be supplied as a war contingent, without the slightest
detriment to the safety of any city or district.

General Lord Napier of Mogdala and Major General Sir
Garnet Wolseley continue in daily communication with the
War Office authorities on the subject of the war prepara-
tions, but the latter officer remains in the performance of
his official duties at the Indian Office, notwithstanding his
appointment as chief of the staff of the proposed British
expeditionary force.

It has been intimated to officers of the Indian army who
have made known their desire to be employed in case of a
European war that the Wax Office cannot, at present at any
rate, eutertain the applications of any but °fibers of the
Imperial army.

The greatest possible activity now prevails in the metal
mills at Chatham Dockyard, owing to an order which has
been received for the workmen'to go upon full time. For
some months past the men have only been workihg three
and a half, fair, and and at the most live days a week, but
during the past few weeks so many orders have been re-
ceivedier material for the different vessels building at the
various yards, that the Admiralty have directed that the
men are to go upon full time. "'he activity is now likely to
continue for a long time, as two new vessels have been laid
down at Chatham, the whale of the material for which has
to be prepared.