The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-10-15
GREAT MILITARY ACTIVITY.
Grent Britain AlmOst Accomplishing
Wonders i'm Limited Time.

Copyrighted. 1899, by the Associated Press.l
LONDON. Oct. 14-All Europe is watch
ing Great Britain at this crucial moment
in her military affairs. Foreign statesmen
and military experts regard the result of
the war With the Beers as a foregone con-
clusion. What they scan with such anxious
interest is England's tremendous prepara-
tions for the contest. BY the result of these
efforts will her strength be gagged. In
assembling an army twice as large as that
which she sent to the Crimea and consid
erably greater than Wellngtons force at
Waterloo. England is offering an iustra-
tion. for the first time iP many decades. of
her ability to fight on land. Although her
naval strength has often been demonstrated
to advantage. it has still been a matter of
doubt whether her military arm would COM
pare favorably with that of continental
tions. and in the throes of such test she
has been engaged this week day and night.
Gangs OF men are working necessarily at
the ports that dot England's shores trans
forming liners into troopships. Largely
augmented forces are ceaSeleSSly turning
out ammunition and ordnance stores. Some
idea of the activity in this branch can be
rounds of small-arm ammunition left Wool
wich last week. Although the manufacture
Of the favorite new bullet Mark )" has
been retarded by an outbreak of lead pois-
oning among the employees this department
is working day and night. Tons of scrap
zinc are being shipped to make gas for the
war balloons, which are being taken out on
a more extensive scale ano with more
complete equipment than ever before.
Meanwhile the men for whom these imple
ments OF war are being made are pouring
out OF barracks TO the ports. standing by TO
embark, drilling, maneuvering and practic-
ing at targets every spare hour. The re-
heralded patches and reshouldering their
rifles as II the transformation from civil
10 military life were merely an everyday
occurrence. The huge mobilization at Alder
shot is now in charge of Major General
Thomas Kelly-kenny. inspector general of
auxiliary forces and recruiting. who has
succeeded General Sir Redvers Butler. All
the work is new. 1t is the first time that
anything of the kind has been attempted
since the short-service system went into ef-
feet A visit TO Aldershot produces the i'm
preston that everything is going like clock
work. but IL is too early yet to express
definite opinion regarding the British
mobilization.
For the reserves themselves, who are
obliged TO leave their wives and families on
a pitiful pittance from the government
much sympathy has been aroused. exempli-
flying the truth OF Rudyard Kipling's jeer
"A Special Train for. Atkins when the Band
who were not called out have asked to be
allowed a serve in South Africa. and sim
liar spirit If spontaneous practical patriot
Sir Redvers Buffers force includes the
flower of the English nobility. The excel
lent BOef ndTkSmdnsnlp. combined with
the fact that IL is unwritten rule i'm the
British army that officers must always
stand under fire. even though the men are
lying down. makes mourning probable in
many a noble British house.
The Admiralty is perhaps more on trial
than the army. especially as IL is well
known that General Lord Garnet WolseIey
the commander-ln-chef. does not approve
a system which gives the navy such far
1852 Great Britain dispatched 1900 troops
in three weeks 10 Alexandria Egypt. a feat
that elicited the intense admiration of
Count Won Moltke. but the task OF shipping
more than 5000 men has no parallel in