Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1878-05-18
The English Army OF To-day and the
Volunteers.

There could hardly be more curious studv
16r those who like to measure the present BY
tne past, IMAM comparison between what our
army IS, and how 1t is organized now, and
what It was in 1854, when we "drifted !" into
the Crlmean war. In those days we had no
volunteers our militia was composed CHIEFLY
OF men who were not fit for the regular army,
and was Officered by gentlemen Who had no
intention int OF ever Joining the regulars and
VINO were mostly too old to be fit for active
service VI mobilization we had none what
ever, either Tor our active or for our garrison
army: Sven in our regular troops, The Only
Test tesI eltne ne. lor the appointment or the promo
sum OF money. We have changed all this and
have certainly changed it for the better. on.
GERS now enter The army with the same inten
tion inat men are called to the bar, or study
lhetGlclhe, or go into the church-they become
soldiers because they wish to join the PROBES
sion OF arms. Our regular army-cavafry. in
iantiy, and artillery-is, in every sense of the
word, far more efficient than it was even a
lew years ago, and is gaining, not losing. in
this respect every day. Our militia force
WOuld 40 credit to any army in the world, and
our H1lunteefs are the wonder of all foreign
er T, VINO see them. About year ago the pres
ent writer happened, when walking up West.
bourne Terrace, to meet a volunteer c0rpS on
i af, way 10 hyde Park for the usual Saturday
afternoon exercise. He was in company with
french officer who had seen not a little SER
vice IN dlnerent parts of the world and who
Knew what soldiers ought to be. The French.
man asked what regiment it was, and, when
toid 1t was volunteer corps would not be-
lieve his informant, but offered to bet that #
was fine corps OF the resular army. 1t was
only Dy going into a shop in one of the neigh
boring streets, and putting the same nueSi fon
TO tne shopman, that he could be made to be-
sm ese taat volunteer regiment could look so
S indi, aid move SO We'll But no matter how
lnultiuually excellent our regulars, or militia.
OF volunteers may be- the most soldierlika
quallhcatlons would be of no avail without
proper PEI and regular scheme OF mobilization.
by which, as orderly housekeepers say. there
IS place Tor everything and everytfing ca n
be put in its place. This scheme, or plan. we
psrec eoI S got may have yet to be made
and, as we said before, an immense fmproVe.,
erganzalion Of former days. u Let m Ms on +,
to the heyef naxe to put the plan
ia ANNA 9sLa.+ LIFE !; IN THE COLORADO DESERT
Inc DESERT Is MOI solitude; life abonndS in
1t; beasts, birds, reptiles and insects occur in
quantity surprising. to one who knows the
scarcity OF surface water. Rabbits, hares and
chlpm4nks; gophers and m0les appear to be
with their homes. All of them are found as
water In other parts Of California. the nre.
sence OF quails indicates proximity of wafer.
Ihls Is not SO on the desert, where large fiocks
OF honey gathering flies or bees, lulis to siee5
MN VINO reposes under the palo-verde of iron.
, wood; Mocking birds and other songsters en-.
sbdas sS .. kwa as and
desert denizens are Of nocturnal habits: the
no sun drives them to shade by day. Ravens
and ana crows seem to live on lizards. which in
turn i've On MES and ants, which are abroad
only by daylight. But on moonlight nishts
the others turn out in vast numbers Ranfiies
are n numerous, but we have never heard Of
common here which grows among rocks and
eaten by some Indians.-f Hame sS Sentinel. aaa Is