The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-05-12
American and British Soldiers.

Blue Shirt and Khaki, by James =
]. Archibald. is an unpretentious little
book literally crammed with interesting
information much of which will be new
10 the public. The author has evidently
profited by his observation Of the emer-
gency ration, and constructed his book
on the principle of getting as much as
possible into the least possible space. He
has made detailed compari son between
the armies of the United States and Eng
land, as he has seen them in the Cuban
war and in the South African hostilities,
and his more recent experience is backed
up by some previous observations in the
West and in Europe. The two armies are
compared as regards their officers private
soldiers, strategy, commissariat, trans
portation. and other features; and the
conclusions which the author draws are
such as to give American readers a feel
ing of considerable satisfaction.
There is, Of course, much reason why
American regulars should compare fav-
orably with those of England. especially
with British troops which have remained
in England without seeing active service.
The British army has been engaged large
" in occupying conquered territory, or
fighting enemies over whom it had a de-
cided advantage: the American regulars
have been kept almost constantly at work.
energies. The latter have thus by pro-
cess of natural selection been obliged to
slough off all traditional customs and az
ticles of equipment which would interfere
with their success in campaigning. They
have not been able TO retain any article
of apparel merely because it looked
pretty, if it CHANGED TO be in the way of
their work. Moreover, they come of
people whose ancestors were pioneers, and
most of them have latent ability for
hunting, tracking, and shooting which
needs only little drill and experience to
develop it. The British soldier. recruited
from mining or farming districts or fac
tory towns in an overcrowded island, has
no such instincts and can do no such
work
In spite of these rather obvious facts
Americans have generally been somewhat
olstrusiul of the value of their Regular
army, chiefly because within the present
generation. until the Spanish war broke
out, II had not been proved where the
world could see. nor had it, since the Mex
lean war, been proved against anything
IKE foreign foe. As MIR. Archibald re-
marks. since the campaigning in Cuba
and Porto Rico the world is paying lit
tie more attention to the United States
as a fighting force.
The attitude of this author toward the
South African controversy is impartial.
and he is ready to give the Boer as a
fighter all the credit that is due. With
other qualities of Boer, Briton or Ameri-
can he does not much concern himself
But the flashing which he gives the Brit
ish officer is quite superior to anything
else of the kind which has been seen in
print In the first chapter he puts his
finger the weak point in the British
arr,aN- in ia1fo rin hat tt
crack regiments is responsible for much
of the difficulty encountered in South At
RIGA. He says;
THE system of crack regiments in
the British army has done much tc in
jure the service of that country, as it
has developed the spit and polish Of
hcer, as he is called in London-an i'm
posing society soldier, useless in war.
The men of these regiments are the
pick Of the nation. but unless there is
an exceptional campaign they are not
sent out. The Guards are usually sent
to the front long enough to get their
medals and then are sent home. Dur
ing the last Soudan campaign the bat
TALON of Guards was away from Eng
land only few weeks, and Were, as
the late war correspondent, G. W.
Stevens. said, packed in ice, shipped
90 the front, and then shipped back
During the Boer war the Guards have
not had such an easy time. as it was
necessary to use the whole army in
active operations, and they have
proved themselves good fighters when
properly Differed.
''T-here is one exception to the rule
of pampering the crack regiments in
the case of the Gordon Highlanders,
for they have seen the hardest service
of every campaign since the organiza-
ton OF the regiment. Their glory is in
fighting rather than in polo and crick-
ct in campaigning rather than in
Dancing
Another stab at the crack" officer is
In the following paragraph:
There is no comparison between the
American and the British officers in
the knowledge of their strictly mill
tary profession. This is not to be Won
dered at when their difference III rain
ing Is considered. One hiss been
taught to be a social success. while
the other has been trained % be
man of tempered steel, being ,ornpell-
ed to pass at each promotion an eX-
animation of which not half the Off
GERS of me British army could meet
the requirements.
This is pretty bad, but there is worse
to come:
Until It comes to the critical test.
however. the British army gets along
just as well as though the officers wor-
ried themselves about the fine princi-
pies Of the art of war: II is aston
ishing how dependent the officers are
upon their men One morning, while
with General French's staf during
the operations in South Africa, l was
my horse; being rather impatient, as
action was expected, l remarked
TO one of the staff officers standing
by that / would not wait, and so pick
ed up my saddle. swung il on the
horse, and began to cinch IL up. The
officer watched me in interested,
half-amused way for a moment, and
then said, Ny word, but you're clev-
er. asked what he meant
Why he answered you can saddle
your own horse Most certainly 1
replied, can't your Well said he,
L suppose / could. although 1 have
never tried. for my man always does
that And that man was cavalry
officer.
"A signal difference between the Eli
elsh and American officer is that the
former cannot forget his Piccadilly
manner when he is in the field while
the latter, no matter whether he is a
regular or a volunteer, once in the
field he is soldier through and
through. There are some of mis- type
In the British service, but the;, are few
and far between"
One important result of the war in
South Africa is. according to this CORE
sponeent, that the colonials have lost
much Of the respect. not to say the awe,
which they formerly felt for the impe-
rial officers. He gives several interviews
and expressions Of opinions supporting
fhis statement, and among them are the
following:
An Australian war correspondent
hr. Hales. has recently given his
London Daily News He says:
- 4 don't SupUOSe Australia will