The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1899-11-24
MAKING AN ARMY.
How Reserves Are Turned Into Reg
uIars at AIdershot.

(From the London Leader)
They are making an army at Alder
shot, and making it with all the speed
they can. 1t Is an event which happens
only once or twice in a lifetime, and then
causes excitement throughout the world.
Yet one could walk all over Aldershot de-
pot half dozen times and unless he knew
the place intimately would come away
with the firm impression that nothing IN
usual was proceeding.
I saw some statements to the effect that
AIdershot was all hustle and excitement.
1t is not. They do not make an army like
that. If you expect to see orderlies rush
ing about and soldiers on cycles whizzing
past-well, that is not at AldeTshot.
Still, there is excitement at Aldershot
But it is of a sort that you do not see.
There are officers tearing their hair it is
said, because now that they have got their
men ready and have to be off in a day or
two they have got no clothing to put on
them and cannot find out when 1t IS likely
to arrive 1T viii be ready for the en-
barkation," says Pimlico with passive
| calmness, and with that Aldershot has to
be content.
The results of this are visible, though all
the excitement is hidden beneath the red
| tape bands that hold complaints" Some
u
most comic. For instance, one sees the
| mounted infantry. They have got their
| Bedford cord breeches and their putties,
| but not their khaki tunics. So the poor
| chaps are left looking almost like guys in
very loose breeches surmounted by very
| tight old scarlet TUNES.
The colonial helmets have arrived, great
packing cases full of them, all slowed in
! side one another while the gilt adorn-
/ Ill, 70 IN OIL
| cases. There is no stopping to fix them
! together and number the helmets. In
stead of that three sergeants play a little
| game of shop. Up marches q file OF men
| in field caps. Halt! Front turn! Answer
to your names. Right turn. march! Right
turn halt Now, then, pick out helmet
and hurry up!'
The file has drawn up In front of a line
| Of open packing cases The moment the
men halt of comes each cap, and each man
seizes a helmet and dabs 1t onto his head
| Not one in six tries q second. Then a
uuartermaster tries one or two of the
worst fitting. A captain sees whether he
can get a little more head of this man out
| of the helmet and little more of that
mans In. The Quartermaster explains that
| each man must number his own. Their
Right turn march!" again, and as they
pass by the heaps put ready, each mar
picks up the gilt adornments and the CHR
strap, and goes off wondering how ever
anything could be made so light as his new
white helmet.
Meanwhile other files are passing, bear
ing old home kits to the stores. Each hal
an armful Of TUNES in one file. In anothe
each man is loaded with leggins, Others
are carrying away the old helmets,
The reserve men are OF course the grea
feature OF interest Just now. As to Alder
shot, they may be divided into two sets
those who came in alone direct TO the de
pot, and those who marched In in larg
parties from other barracks Bands ant
cheers always meet these big parties Blu
the great human interest, after all, centre
in the separate men. The others had go
over their partings and leave takiugs
These had only just come through tn
thick of it.
Once inside the camp the reserve ma
stands and twists his mustache in wonder
ment at the changes of recent years. Tn
wilderness had become town.
l came across one man who had jus
hurried back from Monte Carlo from tn
service of a countess-and even he was nc
sorry Every man seemed delighted wit
the chance OF being in action.
But the reservist is not in the depot Ion
\ before he has to fall in with some part G
the movement for making an army. If hi
uniform has come he is served out with i
and with a sheet of brown paper, labe
and a bit of string. These last are fo
wrapping up all that Is left Of the civilian
II his uniform has not come, no matter
I | there is rifle and a bayOuet and be
/ handy. so off he goes to drill in his ow
civilian dress Some of the reservists wer
| drilling in morning coats, bowlers or al
/ pine hats. and one mana navvy-was sti
/ wearing the "yorks'' holding up his trous
l ers below the knee. During the first drt
! he took one of these straps Off, so that