The daily morning journal and courier., 1900-03-03
ARTICLE BY LIEUT.. HOWARD

ON NATURALIZATION OF BRITISH
 TROOPS TOR SOUTH AFRICA"
 One of Several Contributions by Him to
 "Notes on Naval Progress" n Cover n .
 ment Publication-The Lieutenant Is
 Well Known i'm This City.
 Among the articles contributed by Lieutenant W. l.. Howard to Notes on Naval Progress" for November, vol ume issued by the government office of naval intelligence, is an article on Elm Nbarkation of British Troops for South Africa" Lieutenant. Howard is we'll known in this city, and the article will no doubt be read with considerable in- terest by his friends here. The article is as follows:
 Geat Britain, to greater extent than any other power, is constantly engaged in the transportation of troops to and from her distant colonial possessions Her transportation system is the pro- duet of vast experience, and only a well-nigh perfect system of organiza- tion, coupled with the fact that com mand of the sea is undisputed, could make practicable the present prompt departure of troops for South Africa.
 The whole of the troopng arrange ments are in the hands of the admiral ty, which contain a separate depart ment under charge of a naval officer of high rank, who is styled director of transports. He is responsible for the organization and detail of all sea tran saction, and must be constantly pre- pared for a sudden call for the tram sport of a battalion of infantry to an army corps.
 Experience has condemned the prac- tice of maintaining a number of troop ers,' ships built specially for the pur- pose of carrying troops, for in time of war the crews would be required for the fleet and in time of peace the system is costly. Again, in time of war it has all ways been necessary to resort to hired transports, and as an example of the difference between the old trooper and a modern vessel when fitted for transport service, the Jumna, of 6,211 tOiiS, CdIIlSu, IOuSulS, I,luo lieH, Niiie the Kildonan Castle,* of 9,664 tons, chartered for the present war, it is stated, can carry 2,7O0 men and 150 off, cers, and that, too, at about 40 per cent. greater speed. These vessels when en- gagged are divided into three different classes, officially designated as tram sports, troop freight ships, or store freight ships, according to the terms of contract Transports are vessels wholly engaged by the government for a speci- fled time and specified service, and while on such service temporarily lose their identity. Thus the Nubia is off, cially designated Transport No. A. the Pavonia, No. 7S, etc. A troop freight ship is a vessel partially engaged for the conveyance of troops. Store freight ships are vessels wholly or partially en- gagged for government freight.
 The transports have all to be fitted and inspected according to- specified tions prepared by the admiralty, the de- tails of accommodations being worked out with extreme care. The space al- lowed to each individual is in strict ac- cord with sanitary requirements and sickness seldom, if ever, occurs which can be traced to overcrowding.
 In arriving at the number of ships necessary to transport a considerable l body of troops the calculation is ord- | 1farily based upon gross tonnage. In a short voyage 15a tons per man and tons per horse is considered a sufficient | allowance, but in long voyages more | space must be allowed In 1879 force of 8,136 of all ranks. with 1851 horses, tol the Cape in IS steamers with total of | 55,O00 tons. In 1882 a force of 19,14S of | all ranks, with 5,90S horses, was con- veyed to Egypt in AT steamers with a | total of 140,0O0 tons
 The personnel of a British army corps | consists approximately of 35,000 men of | all ranks With this corps there will | have to be dispatched a force to guard l the lines of communication, the war es- | tablishment of which is approximately 1 4, 800 men. As matter of fact, the fol- | lowing numbers composed the First | Army corps, the excess being cavalry: Men ................... 41375 | H1orses ................. l2570 | wagons ............ .......,........ 936 l
 It was calculated that to transport | this body to the Cape, with stores and equipment, would require 1000 tons of shipping, apportioned as follows:
 Tons. Officers and men. 125, 300 f1OrSes ........... ..........,....... 49,2l0 Guns and wagons. s.................. 2,80S ...................... l0,344 ..................... 1,16l Consumable stores. es................. 15, ,S63 General-service stores. 125, ,125
 | LptdI ........... ................ 33U,Ull | With the selection and preparation of the ships as transports the war office has nothing whatever to do beyond ap- the military members of a mixed board which passes the ships for use. The transport department of the responsible for every detail with the transportation of troops from waters edge to waters edge at the ports of embarkation and respectively. But the authorities are responsible for the amount of space and accommoda- ton required and for putting details on board and on shore in an orderly man. 1er.
 At each of the main points of em- a number of naval officers are