The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-03-17
ENGLAND AS A MILITARY POWER.
Her Regulars, Volunteers
and Militia.
THE RESERVE FORCES.
Her Resources Summed Up by
the Hero of Ashanti.
r. E ADY FOR w A r. t.

Below We give some extracts from an article by
General Sir Garnet woseey OF the English army, re-
Gently published in the Ntneteenth Century magazine.
These extracts include the essential points or the
article as a statement OF tho sources from which
England could draw Tor the formation OF army
Tor ioreign service
Much yet remains TO he done before our army Is
thoioughIy remodelied IN accordance with modern
requirements, but cannot ignore Tue great striues
that been made that direction since 1870 and
still more since 1854. Indeed, when rememoer Tho
conservative elements--i 90 not use tnat expression
In poiilcal sensr--of which our army III common
with that OF all other nations is composed. am not
40 much astonfshed at what still remains 10 De
accomplished US al the great and important reforms
already adopted. Oh these improvements, uoue has
been more relnar kaDe or more calculated TO reform
our army than the progress made by lis officers in
professional education. The severity OF the examln.
slions which all must now unaerso before they can
obtain commissions secures the army against those
formerly only too numerous III IT, anu TOO subse
quent EXAMINATIONS 'or promotion on military Subjects
IN tie theory OF military art II Is, IRON my point of
view, to be regretted above AL things tnose pro-
tesuuA EXAMINATIONS are not carried still lurther, by
insisting that no man snali be gwen command Of q
regiment made general officer uuu lie has passed
aud olner important subjects. The ,lms has
rived wIen no man shoud DO made colonel or
general who Is not a thorough master OF his art.
MRovEMENr IN rAE OFFICERS
Formerly large proportion Vi or officers entered
the army because Il heid oat the Inducements OF a
pleasant nic. They despised MI study OF military
kcience had not their ainers doue we'll US leaders
while ignorant on SUCH points, and why sheuid they
Not allowed 10 i0iIow III their ioostepsf am
glad say mat this hne OF argument confined 10
small anG Anticipated school OF thought in tho
army now fast disappearing. Our officers OF
today fuiIy awe TO the necessity Tor study,
aud well aware that mere knowledge
al osrrack yard dri will no longer OBTAIN Tor tnem
The reputation oil ueug good officers that knowledge
essential as ever, but IL nus ceased 10 DO sui
ncsnL There is abroad in the army eagerness 10
learn unknown ~ 1854, and although progress may DC
somewhat retarded through tue iniucnce OF few com
.niandiug officers VINO sui pooh-poon e0acaton, still
the OF regimen tal officers been leavcned
with an amount OF tactical Nnowiedgo entirely absent
from our army nve-aud-tweuty years ago This has
worked such an Improvement IN the lighting value Of
The ARMY that have no hesitation III asserting that,
bad We now 10 send force into The neld twould be
IN many most important respects iniiutey superior
10 x at which sormed he heights OF the Ama but In
mora SO tnan ia INC professional efficiency OF
It's officers. Tue army is now the greatest and
winch iulure the officers viii be the mas
ters the days of special Instructors Tor tho
buucatiou Of recruits are numbered, and company
aud troop officers must learn 10 leach tner own men
20 Gril TO shoot uni 10 ride without the assistance
81 muskery and gunnery Instructors or OF riding
masters
NECESSITY OF A RESERVE FORCE.
Every military man Is deeply Impressed with the
ucccssity OF having behind our standing army ro-
oil twice It's strengtn indees, TINS Is vcrs
ally mtted necessity III all armies But In applying
IL to peculiar position We are met with serious dill
hcultes unknowu 10 foreign nations In considering
Grduciions winch are based upoL The German sle,
uesisncd only Tor nome army II must not BE- forgot
len That least oGe-haii OF line battaons
staDtly aDTOad--at present there arc more-which
must be always Kept up 10 hghting strength
lnd composed exclusively OF good lighting ma
leriaL hey cannot be used military schools for
The Great al reserve force indeed, recruit should
aver be ia their ranks Upon sixty eight sky
ue aud guard Dattaiions stationed ut homo
must therefore fal!, not only the responsibility Of
furnish Sc soldiers 10 MI up the gaps caused
In the scvcpty-two or epiy-three battaons cOu-
etantly abroad by tho discharge OF those who have
Competed :heir army engagement by death aud by
the lnvallds sent bolne from tropical climates. but
also the duty OF contributing tho great bulk oil those
who 10 fvrm our army reserve
Tho time required to convert q civilian into an
efficient soldier depends IN some measure upon the
class OF lic IN which he has becu brought up and
case with English recruits Thus without doubt the
volunteers learn their drill quicker than he men who
JON either me militia or the army, for, rule. ihsy
come from u higher stratuui IN the social scale OF
lie. For The ordinary recruit who Joins US at seven
eieh years OF gc, few soldiers Will argue
that shorter period OF traiuug than three years
would suffice; he would mus pass into tue
reserve twenty or twenty-0ne years VI age, before
wnica h. is not physically lit Tor tho harGships iu-
ecparaUie from war; In Germany the regulated per-
fuaulng tour years Tor the cavalry and three for
the infantry, but in reality II is lew months OF less
For Instance, man who reaches the age OF
twenty At any time III 1878 Will JOIN his battalion
about the middle Of next November ana Will pass
into the reserve when the autumn mAa1uvres
Of 1851 are ovcrtha is about the latter OF the
September in that year. IL IS common 10 allow them
urlough Tor The harvest Tune IN the last year
oil their training service, but aiter II Is over they
must return 10 taxi part Ia the annual mabGuvres
OF that year. They are thus actually under
arms with the coOrs Tor about two years and
nne before receiving urlough 10 pass Tue
reserve, where they remain four years. ana then pass
into the Liudwenr. All men while IN the reserve are
liable to be called upon twice to take part IN annual
mahGuvres lasting eight weeks upon each OCCASION.
IL would be ioreen 10 this article TO 60 further into
the German army system, or to describe the reg
uatious regarding the 1000 men (aDoutj VINO
1'n annually Tor only one y.ar's ac usl
service or those referring 10 the men whom the OH
commanding battalion can allow TO pass into tho
reserve alter Two year, service IN the ranks
CREATING A RBsKRvE.
During last year 1 am glad to say that all men OF
three years. service who Acre sopernumerary 10 our
reserve, ana l am sure that all army reiormefs
will agree with me in hoping that THIS practice may
be uns~erviugy persisted IN. Tor 1t is only by dong
that We can ever hope TO nave an army reserve OF
my considerable numerical strength. THIS system
canpo,, however, be applied 10 our line battauns
which III lndia aud tho colonies. As already ex-
planned the expense of applying That System to them
Mould enormous for the item oil transport even
II Il ere desirable TO SO. when NOT Tor they
should always be rua y to take tho field any mo-
ment, and must therefore be composed OF seasoned
soldiers over tweny-ouo wears OF age TINS question
OF age rs q most important factor IN this military
problem, and notbing can be truer than the remark
'thal. us contIuous framing is somewhat severe. 1t
men taud not boys capable Of bearing
H." As have already pointed out, at
ara youths OF about eighteen years OF ago as
Dir. Hoims solution to this difficulty Is, "Abosh the
militia anu improve our terms, aud the supply Of
remedy, more further on but ms To the latter one,
II will be echoed by every British officer. and by
nouc, should imagine, more earnestly than by our
present Commander-in-C Chief We want men
recruits sake Of the safety aud welfare
OF the empire We ought 10 navo ynem. THIS 49, now
ever meter Tor the con sderation Of ministers and
OF Parliament We soldiers are helpless IN the natter
we can do nothing more than warn tue nation OF
the terrible risk IL ncurs under our present system
oil boy recruits II we are to cnlist only men We must
Dller them mems wages, and 40 not believe that
tie expense OF raising the soldicf's pay ~ould be
Anything ike what Is commonly supposed, for better
pay would certainly supply us with au article better
morally as wen a a. ro "e"s. nd
SHOULD therefore save largely IN our prison expenses