The record-union., 1893-09-02
BRITISH ARMY RULES
They Are Said to be Rigid Unto
Oppression.

Hard one-Niegardly Pay ana No
Recreation-Restrai From Mar
rying.
That a strong element of dissatisfaction
exists in the British army, and that
Tommy Atkins is beginning to realize
that his position in life is not happy
one, has lately been shown by some un-
mistakable signs. And when some de-
tails OF the daily routine Of a redcoat are
dispassionately considered his discomfort
appears to be by no means unreasonable.
1t is to be promised that it is the private
soldier almost exclusively who has any
grievance. The position Of the non-com-
missioned officers, Corporals, Sergeants
and Sergeants Major is on quite differ
ent basis from that of the men, and the
higher officers, those bearing commits
sions, enjoy a social status which may be
almost called enviable. They are amen
able only to the field officers" the Colo
mel, Lieutenant-C Colonel, Majors and Ad-
jutant, and that only while on duty. Very
often they are younger mem bers of the
nobility and aristOcracy, and have moth
ing in common with the frank and file" "
When OIL duty they doif their uniform,
dress in civilian costume, technically
called "muiti," and 90 about their own
pleasure, just how and where they choose,
says an eX-redcoat in the Philadelphia
Tunes.
While there Is an indispensable neces-
sity IN military service for most rigid
discipline without which no harmony
can exist, there is altogether too much OF
the martinez spirit, especially among the
non-commissioned officers. This is
shown strongly i'll numerous cases in the
punishment Of Grimes" by which all
offenses against discipline, however
tritling, are known in the army. Many
men are punished for what is really
no Onense at all, such as not doing some
small duty just exactly to suit the Whim
OF some domlneering, mean spirited Ser
geant or Corporal. Should the matter be
never so triding, the regularly prescribed
punishment certainly follows, all the
customary details OF form and ceremony
being most rigidly observed.
The prisoner is marched into the pres
ence OF the commanding Colonel between
two fully armed sentries, and the regula-
ton sentence Of confinement and extra
drill is dealt out. If the petty officer who
has charge of the man bears any malice
against him, he can practically extend the
likes. For instance, r soldier, for some
bagatelle. is awarded extra drills IN
heavy marching Order'-which means
with all his accoutrements, knapsack,
OvercOat, ammunition, etc.-during a
couple of hours daily for five days, with
confinement in barracks, besides being
made to answer roll-call every half-hOur.
The man may easily happen to be a sec
ond or two late at one Of these rOll-calls
by the Sergeants watch, in which case the
latter can, on his own authority, ada five
or six days additional punishment, and
thus keep up the game Indefinitely merely
for spite. A Iuan thus prosecuted may
and often does. commit some serious
crime, so as to get court-martial and be
ordered some greater punishment merely
to end the irksOme persecution.
Military Imprisonment is very differ
emf from the civil kind, with more rigor-
GUS discipline, worse diet and far more
slavish labor, of which the most common
form is "shot drill" This, while ap-
pearing to be a simple thing enough, is
capable of producing an extreme amount
of agony. The following is the manner
Of it: a number of soldier prisoners are
stood up in the prison yard, at distances
Of eight or nine feet from each other, a
cannon ball weighing about forty pounds,
resting at the feet OF each one. The drill
master gives the word of command, and
6dGll pIlSOh6L SlOOlS, pICkS QD Ills Dhll,
raises II almost to his head, carries it for
ward to the next mans station and puts
II on the ground there. lie then faces
about, walks back to his own place.
where he HndS another like ball brought
there by the next one OF the gang. This
ball he picks up, raises and again tax es
forward and deposits, the process being
repeated as long as the taskmaster
chooses. The constant STOPPING, the end
less lifting, raising and putting down Of
the heavy weights become after a little
while almost unbearable. 1t is heart
breaking as well as back breaking busi-
ness. Other punishments, including Sc
we're tlogging, may be inflicted, especially
on refractory prisoners, but the shot drill
is the most customary.
While the nominal pay of a private is
one shilling day, or twenty-fOur cents,
he really does not receive much more
than half that in actual cash. Deductions
are charged to his account for extra sup
plies Of rations and for washing, which
bring the net amount placed to his credit
down to about four shillings or 81 Der
week. Most of the table supplies which
the ordinary citizen would Fate as neces-
saries are ''eXtras" in the soldiers bill Of
fare. Butter. tea, coffee, sugar and any
excess of meat above half a pound daily.
vegetables, fish and everything beyond
his pIttance OF meat and bread have 10 be
pdlu lOE NuL OF his LWGIlLy-IOur CGNLS. + rom
the same slim source also has to come the
cost OF repairs to his clothing, and the
practically compulsory, though nom
inally optional. subscriptions to the
cricket, shooting and athletic clubs con-
nected with the regiment. 4 still further
deduction OF ten cents per month is taken
OFT his diminished pay for tine cost of
repairs to barracks" a mysterious item
charged in accordance with venerable
custom, Of which no one i'll the army can
give any satisfactory account other than
established custom.
The recreatiOns OF the English soldier
are on par with the rest Of his sur
roundings. The few cents he may hap
pen to possess at any one time will not
obtain any elevating relaxation, so ne
seeks the lowest and cheapest modes of
dissipation. There is, in all barracks, a
place called by courtesy Il reading-room,
but Tommy has no education and natur-
ally falls back on the Canteen, where he
can drink end smoke in peace at an ex-
pense not too heavy for his puny purse.
outside, the lowest groEgeries, vulgarly
known as pubs" are about his only re-
sort The common soldier is stunned
by almost every body as something too
tar down III the social scale to have any
thing to do with.
The Indian service, perhaps the most
important from the Governments point
Of view, is not all popular with the SOL
der, and one Of his especial aversions is
the trip to HindOostan on troopship.
About fifteen hundred men, shut up Tor