The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1874-11-21 00:00:00

CIF gstourtdbge Q.)bsettcr.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER, 21bt, 1874.

FOOD FOR THE ARMY.

A disagreeable discussionhas lately been going
onwith respect to the condition of the British
army. Some might be inclined to attribute it to
the sparsity of topics for public comment in the
press during the autumnal months, and to do-
llars that the people of this country would not
be like themselves or their forefathers if they
had not something to grumble about. Others
are inclined to think that theicontinued assertions
as to the army dwindling away through desertion
and ineffectiveness must have some kind of
foundation. Great emphasis is laid upon the
opinions of veteran military officers. There is,
for instance, Lord Sandhurst, who as Sir William
Mansfield, won a splendid reputation of w!tich
the service might well be proud. Lord Sandhurst
told the House of Peers last session that the
question of the supply of men for the army must
cause apprehension if not alarm, to every person
acquainted with the facts, while the Duke of
Cambridge in the same debate, admitted that
the recruits were not of the quality that could
be wished, nor of the c:ass they formerly were.
The Commander in-Chief, et the same tme
ezpressed his opinion that the men of the Army
Reserve ought to be trained much more regularly
than they Sr. There are many who might b:
inctined to say that Lord Sandhurst, with the
pronounced convictions of an old senool officer
took much too gloomy a view of matters, but no
one can say this of the Duke of Cambridge, who
possidsses is well-balanced and jadicial mind,
such as entinetitly- fits him for the discharge of
his important and responsible duties. but what-
ever may be subject of conjecture, tin-re is
unfortunately little doubt ef the fact that
desertion is becoming every day an increasing
evil, and that it has become a regular branch of
the business of a thief to enlist and then to de-
sert, for the money to be obtained for the
soldier's kit. Now, this is an offence which is
by no means a new one. Time was whim the
bounty for a recruit was far higher than it is at
present, and consequently there was greater
temptation to desert; but then the heavier pun-
isement inflicted had a thoroughly deterrent
effect. Lately, however, we have introduced
into our system of army administration principles
of leniency which distinguish our codes of civil
punishment, awl result has certainly not had
the effect which its advocates anticipated, for
kindness to men of this class seems to have
been thrown away.
. .

- Meanwhile, in the words of Lord Melbourne,
"something must ho &we" to cheek the drain
from the ranks of the army. We lutist either
increase the punishment for deeertion, or hold
out more attractions to ioduce men to enter the
Military life Why not try both, and do what
we can lu an affirmative as well as in • negative
way It is the worst possible policy to lie
unaly•mouthed with rogues, for they look upon
liumenity as weakness, and upon gentleness as
being something so utterly foreign to their
nature that they cannot possibly' understand it.
And as to offering more inducements, it would
surely be remarkable if we could not maintain
au efficient at my, for the taxpayer knows to his
cost how title WO for it. Let Us for •
nommoit eel. I rest its Oust with that of the vast host
of Grin:lane who poured down upou France four
years ligo. The military Widget of ilerinany is
ci (tilt simeen millions 'tee ing, and it supports
• fi rce of 1,324,000 teen, of e horn 400,000 are
always in 'wive service. Now, the complete
army of Great Britain, including the line and the
military forces, number about the same as the
fictive branch of the Getman erniy, and costs
quite us ittich. SOUle ailoWatiee must. of course,
be made for the higher expense of iiving in this
country, but the very substantial sinus which
we allot every y.eir to the maintenance of the
army ought to keep in existence a body of men
sufficiently numerous, powerful, and well-trained
to defend our shores from invasion, and to
austain our military reputation at the point
where it vice placed long ago. The male popu•
lotion of our island would look with little favour
upon the idea of compulsory service, yet what
alternative will there be if our army cannot be
kept up by voluntary MeNTIS ?
beieg i,t itiist, 1110 y w. II watch with filime'v
the rapid growth of the armaments on contieelital
soil, and in case of these assuming a menacing

aspect, inch a step as that of compulsion. how. I
ever, unpopular, would have its advocates. In
a time of national danur every man's duty, as
we presume it would be also his inclination,
must naturally be the ml, fenre eft'''ime, but
a horde of undisciplined men, at such a time as
that, would be worge than usele,is. Fliey would
be incumbrances in the way of the regniar and
efficient force, and become merely food for .
powder of which the Great Napolcoh spoke with
such scornful contempt.
It will be readily acknowledged that of late !
years there has been a material addition to the
pay of the rank and file of the army, while in
other respects the condition of the toidier has !
greatly improved. Yet it remains doubtful
whether the pay is sufficiently high to tempt
men into the service. Judging from the scarcity
. of recruits, it would seem that the true level has
not yet been reached when the recruiting
sergeant can enter the labour market on equal
terms with other buyers. There is scarcely a
department of industry that can be mentioned
in which the rate of remuneration has not ad-
sauced to a considerable extent. The soldiers I
pay has also advanced, but hardly in the same I
proportion; and unless men of the class to whom
we look to fill the army are well paid, compara-
tively speaking, the inducements of a handsome
uniform, change uf 'scene, and abundant leisure
will not always found sufficient. True there
are some habitually lazy men who would rather
be soldiers at a low rate than hardworking
inechatlies at live times the amount. Work is
distasteful to this, and so they lead an idie and
lounging exist mee in preference to one in which
they could earn good money, if they would only
put forth their euergies. Ititt it would appear
as though there were not quite enough of these
for the purpose of the recruiting sergeant, and
some might be inclined to regard this as a hope-
ful indication of the gradual spread of intelli-
gence and enlightuieut amongst the humble
classes. Yet there are two sides to the question,
and army officers who are in command of skelvton
regiments and attenuated battalions would like
to see an adequate number of men of the right
stamp present themselves to enter the service of
the Queen. They say that the ranks most be
filled by one means or another, and that of
volunteers are not obtainable, compulsion must
be resorted to. Experienced men pay little
heed to the argument that in a time of national
peril there would be an abundance of volunteers
to flock to the standard. These would not form
a well-trained and disciplined army—a force
which, at such a time, would be indispensable
to the defence of our shores and the safety of
the realm.