The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-05-07
Great BrItnin,s Indian Army.

Great Britain's Indian Army.
Now that the first contingent Of native
troops has been despatched from Bombay,
IT is worth while to examine the weight of
this new factor in European warfare What
is the extent and organization of the mill
tary forces which England has recruited
from her subjects in lIndostan, and what is
their character for discipline and efficiency?
Ample information on this subject is at hand
in report lately published by Gen. UPTON
on the armies Of Asia and Europe.
The established strength of the native
army year ago was 81. or this total
100000 are infantry, about IL. 900 cavalry; the
engineers and sappers number about 5000,
and there are few hundred artilerists
The number of European officers by whom
this large body Is welded and controlled is
only S,S9s, but this leavcn OF military talent
and experience is most iudiciously dis
tributed. Thus In each regiment Of infantry
while the Subddars and Jcmapdctrs Captains
and Lieutcnantsl IA we'll as the non-com-
missioned officers are all natives, the COM
mandant. tho second in command, and four
wing officers corresponding to Majors, as
well AS tho Adjutant, Quartermastcr. and
surgeon. are Europeans. When on detached
service the Subadar is allowed to command
his company and receives sufficient instruc-
tion to enable him TO do so, but
no battalion parades are allowed to
take place without the presence OF IL British
| officer. The native officers are Commissioned
| by the Government Of India, and a. recOg-
milton OF their merits one is appointed aide
de-camp on the stan OF the Vccroy and an
other on that II the Communicating Chief:
but with these exceptions they are assigned
to combatant, and NOT stan service. A. a
rule they are promoted from the ranks and
are OF the same caste as the plivates
! although OF late a few educated Hndous
aud owners Of land have been appointed with
view to elevate the standard. Corporas
are selected from those Sepovs who know
how to read and write In Of least one char
acter. exceptions. however being made
IN the case Of men who display
conspicuous courage. To enable the
native soldier TO qualify for promo
tion, school Is maintained in every
| regiment; drill instructors, moreover, are
appointed in each company, AMI to encour-
age emulation, one Sepoy is annually raised
10 the grade Of corporal. We should add
that where q regiment is composed of class
| troops. that is, Of companies differing IN
! religion or caste, the lists ar, adjusted 70
! these distinctions, and vacancies are !iilrd
| by seniority in each class. Conspicuous
| services on the part Of native commissioned
officers are rccompenscd by " the Order Of
| British India limited u one hundred mem
bers, who receive an honorary title and m
annuity ranging from Sl-) To- $685.. There
/ is also thu order 81 Merit" which T.
conferred for personal bravery, In, spnc'ivc
of rank OF grade, and which likewise
carries an annuity. Campaign medals good
conduct pay, life pensions after forty years
or in case OF disability after fifteen years
service. and discharges with gratuity, are
among the other incentives to mcritorous
conduct offered to the officers ana soldiers
of the native army The average height of
the infantry Sepoys in Bombay and Madras
is five feet five inches and the minimum
five feet three. The Sikhs from north
western India in the Puniaub are the tallcst
and finest looking soldiers, many Of them
being six feet in height: yet the Goorkhas,
short, thick-set, muscular men from the
mountains, dispute with them the rcputa-
ton Of being the best fighters in Bengal,
# not in India. Gen. UPTON states
that the drill, discipline movements,
and appearance Of the native troops
in the Camp Of Exercise at Delhi in 1916
would compare favorahly with those Of
many European soldiers. The infantry
marched, he says, with n precision APP
preaching that Of the English regiments,
and In the subsequent manpuvrcs applied
the German tactics with as much intelli-
gencc as the troops seen in Italy, Austria
and Russia; while the evolutions OF the
cavalry on the Same occasion were executed
with strlctncss and facility that would re-
fleet credit upon any army. While such is
the perfection Of training to which the Sc
poy may be brought. he is further RECON-
mendcd by his chcapness. The senior ma
tive officer, called the Subadar Major, re-
ceivcs but $3.50 per month"; or about one
third as much as an English sub Licuten-
ant serving on probation in the same rcgi-
mcnt. The private soldier gets rupees, or
$3.50 per month, ont OF which he Is required
to provide his own rations, and his clothing,
except one suit issued by the Quarter
master every two years. II the cost OF Ia-
tions, however, exceeds Sl.75, or onc-haf of
the soldiers pay per month, the Govern
ment gives him n compensation equal To the
excess. 1t results from this economical sys-
TEN Of allowing the Sepoys to feed them
selves that each regiment is accompanied by
a native village called bazaar which, how
ever provides its own means OF transport,
is under strict military discipline, and
has the prices Of its commodities
regulated by the commanding officer.
Where the bazaar cannot follow the
troops, as would be the case at the present
luncture, the Government provides rations
| which consist Of wheat rice pulse phee IN
kind Of buttcr, and salt. In India the Gov
eminent, rs n rule, does not furnish bar
racks for the Scpoys. but instead gives them
a small allowance, called "hutting money"
with which the men build their own hut, of
mud on adobes. The contrast between these
cabins and the lofty barracks of the white
troops is not more marked than tho dispro-
portion In pay and quality Of rations.