Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1897-12-13
GREAT BRITAIN FINDS HERSELF
SHORT OF SOLDIERS.
THE WAR OFFICE IS PUZZLED.
LORD LANSDOwNE AGAIN HINTING
AT CONSUMPTION.
Troubles in India and Africa Call for
More Troops Than the Govern
ment Can Spare-PeopIe
ASitatcd Over the
Question.

| London, Dec. 12.-EnSland is greatly in
| need of soldiers. This has begun TO be the
! continuous cry of the government, and the
| Killing OF the great gaps in the various
| regiments is puzzlng the war office.
! Thursday night at Edinburgh the Earl
| of I.ansdCwnc. the secretary of state for
| war, again spoke freely of the necessity
OF reserve batalions. He declared that
| three army corps We're imperatively need
| ed. of whom TWO. he said should be avail
| able for foreign service. While the sccre-
| tary WAS rather indefinite on the subject
| hint WAS given that the conscrlption plan
| OF European nations might be invoked.
| This scheme Will lind strong opposition in
| parliament and is not likely 10 be approved
unless dangerous crisis arrives.
The losses in the tribeSmen war in India
| E:lve been severe, principally among Id
| tive troops. In fact. the latter have been
doing most of the fighting in that diSCredit-
able conflict. and it may yet give the Ghur-
has and SikhS idea that only through
their valor and hardhood is Britain main-
talning its position on the frontier. This
feeling would augUr badly for British sue
cess were 4 general uprising deemed prob
able.
Owing to the menacing conditions in re-
gard to Africa and India, recruiting is prac-
tically at Il standstill. Men. who in times
of peace would he ready to take the
queens shilling not solicitous TO
join the colors when they may be ordered
abroad at any moment for active service.
In fact, half-drunken men are those whom
the recruiting sergeant now finds suscept-
ible victims of his military wiles.
The army talk, however, is having n dis
turbirS effect People are puzzled TO de-
.ermine whether the government is really
embroiled, or is only preparing for emer-
gencies. They now call TO mind that Iii
1858 war had almost been declared against
France over the Mekong affair, and the
public knew little about it. Similar cor
ditlons may just now exist, it is argued,
in regard TO Egypt, the Lagos Hinterland
or China. Little doubt prevails that in case
of the threatened SmaShup In Austria
conditions i'll the Balkans might reopen the
Eastern question and necessitate the use
OF British troops; but, with regard to the
present aspect. the public sees no plausible
cause for urgency in increasing the forces.
People here are laughing over the order to
have all the old sword-bayonets i'll Ireland
repolished and sharpcned. over in Dublin.
however, the eXcitabie CeltS do not see the
point to the joke. While the affair is prob
ably only an army job to beneut some con-
tractors, the Irishmen affect to believe that
it is aimed as a menace to the eXiies in
America, who are coming over next year
to celebrate the centenary of '9S. Hotel
keepers and others who expect TO benefit
by the invasion" are exceedingly wroth,
fearing that the foolish order may frighten
some Irish-AmericanS from making the
patriotic pilgrimage.
Military circles are praiSing Sir William
Lockhart's conduct of the campaign in In
dia- The exciting events that have occurred
in other quarters of the world during the
last thirty days have diverted attention
from the attempt to punish he AfridS. But
the undertaking. in its way, is the most re-
markable in which England has ever been
engaged.
Lockhart has under his personal command
larger body of troops than was eyer before
commanded by a British general He has
70, Oov men in the field. more than Wellington
had at Waterloo, where only 1000 We're
actually British.
In the exceptionally difficult conditions,
the mountainous and unknown country, the
cold season, the labor of maintaining COM
munications along Il very extended line and
the fierce fanaticiSm of tribes that believe
they are fighting in a righteous cause and
for very existence, Sir William Lockhart
has displayed remarkable ingenuity and re-
source.
The campaign has been suspended for the
severe weather, but parliament will meet |
before ii is resumed, and the demands of
may help the Salisbury government to push |
through the bill for an increase of military
strength which Lord Landsdowne has out
lined.
With Germany proposing to raise it's navy
nearly 100 per cent, and Great Britain pro-
posing 4 vast extension of its land forces,
rhe optimistic advocates of the era OF uni
Versai disarmament will find the prospect |
anything but iiattering.