The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-10-22

recruiting sergeants for the militia and
the ordinary foot regiments are sometimes
obhged TO resort TO rather devious eXpedi-
ents. II is also true that a very large per.
ceutage of the recruits are picked no in
city Sums, where a glass or two of ale
and good jof. wing from a splendid fell
SOW, like recruiting sergeant. are far
more likely than anything else 10 produce
the desired results. Recruits obtained in
slum neighbOrhoO1s are youngsters out
of work in the main. often without family
ties and sometimes quite willing. if well
persuaded, 10 set away from their current
surroundings even if the prospects be
fairy favorable for service against half
savage native rebels in India the still
more savage blacks of Africa or the Beers.
more dangerous. because of their superior
craftsmanship, than either Hindus or
blacks. A guarantee of the recruits good
moral character is required ostensibly but
the regulations upon this point are
not administered with rgidity
in many instances and the contin-
gency of rejection upon the moral record
OF the recruil is remote indeed.
Very many of the men recruited in the
more crowded sections of the cites go into
the militia, which is about as unlike the
National Guard here as can easily be mag
med and whose memD5 rs are regarded with
less favor by the middle class population
Of Great Britain than those of any other
branch of the service. 1t has been COM
monty supposed both in and out of Eng
land that the militia could not be ordered
to do foreign service, but this is an error
The militia may be sent out of the country
if occasion arise and, further more, if its
ranks he not filled by volunteer enlist
ment,' limited CONSUMPTION may be enforc-
ed to that end. This has not been resorted to
IN thirty years. but the law authorizing
it is still on the statute books and would
be effective any year in which the custom
airy Militia Ballot Suspension Act were
not passed bp Parliament
In the regular foot regiments recruits
from the English peasant class, or. rather.
as some one has said. peasants deterior-
ated by two generations of life as mill
operatives are much in evidence The
recruit of this class in general is some
what understood. narrow chested haxen-
defective education in America and with
abnormal appet1tes SO far as ale and TO-
Dacco are concerned. The British "cruity''
of this type is decidedly inferior in body.
mentality and general training to the av
erage American regular army recruit in
time of peace or volunteer as accented
while the war with Spain was on. bur
probably not below the bodily standard
maintained during the greatest demand for
soldiers in Civil War times
There has been much criticism by the
EiAsllsu themselves CT ine low nnNSiCaf
standard of the army recruits, and more
than one British authority has referred
to them as a lot of half grown bows. g"
A British officer of high standing, who ad-
mits that many immature youngsters find
their way into the ranks, says this is a
good thing on the whole His theory is
that the recruit who begins his service be-
fore attaining fun growth will soon "fli
out" thus acquiring the proper size ana
weight Meanwhile he will receive his
training rs soldier at just the time <,
is most likely to produce a lasting i'm
preston upon him IN every way In fact
he continues, many commanding officers
nave reported that young recruits often de-