The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-07-29
lReduction n BrItIsh Army.

| general public, are greatly
wrought up In England over
~ the news that the Secretary Of
VAR In Difference to the pcr-
einp Y demands OF the treasury form
reduction '1t' OF the current army estimates
by by at least vi, 100000. has resolved up
on sweeping reductions in the strength
or the standing army. and that among
the regiments marked for-disbandnlcnt,
are are the { irish Guards and either the
Royal g. .:l - orse Guards or else the Sec
ond Life Guards
me Royal Horse Guards, as now or
san llsed. are aHrelatively modern corps,
and an q, 4 although their disappearance
Vii Willy ~ eeS Sc some very natural M,
not Q, excite nearly as much feeling
among al! classes OF tlrc population
as u tn the ,wlping out Of existence. Of
t ttner ne Morse guards or Of the
=. oiese are amCng the most historic re-
giments OF the British army. and al
tnough they constitute the bodyguard
OF 1n,, the ssooyereign. and of the Refining
show q ~ !, troops. having distinguished
Dettingen, Under: George re-. m. where re
lhey carried the day, also throughout
the Peninsular War under the. Duke
OF wellington, as we'll as at Water,
likewise in Egypt lin 1889. at the bat.
tie of Tc1-el-Kebir. In fact, had 1t not,
been for their wonderful rapid ride
ac te me desert to Cairo immediately
they reached the ancient metropolis OF
Egypt ~ long before they were expected.
taking completely by surprise the In
.s, s.. g the latter would undoubted-
as the Russians did at Moscow when
Inc trst Emperor Napoleon invaded
Russia lnTS1S12. The Horse and Life
saved Cairo. with ali it's historic
buildings and monuments. AS camel
corps they again took part In Lord
" olseieys unsuccessful expedition up
N 1 Aad last Su G ae eus It.
in the South African War. The three
regiments constitute a single organi.
zation, and are magnificent body OF
ing six foot or over, their stature be-
Ing still further Increased by their
tall, silver plated, brass mounted and
plumed helmet. They are superbly
mounted the chargers being all Of
The regiment. or rather the three
regiments, were first Instituted In
1850, by King. Edward VI. and were
tie, 1Een 1I revived .by King Charles H. It
progress for the restoration OF the
monarchy in England Having around
him upwards OF 5000 Cavaliers. the
wreck Of those fine armies which had
fought !; 50 valiantly for the royal cause
OF that year, formed the pick OF them
into corps, which he named His
Majesty's Guards. To the command Of
this noble band. all of whom were men
OF gentle birth. he appointed Charles
a g st @hen he saaa
from Holland. he was accompanied by
this corps of Life Guards, who, mount
ed on huge Flemish chargers, constitut-
ed his escort when he rode into London.
a few months afterwards they were
placed on the establishment Of the
ernary af Gnes ae o II t9 s
escorts for the royal family. we're In
trusted more especially with the task
Of watching over the safety ,of the
monarch. The chief responsibility in
this connection rested with the colo
in attendance on the Kings person
from the time OF his rising until his
going to bed. and was known by the
title OF the Gold stick in Waiting. Be-
cause OF his honorable and important
office he carried in his hand an ebony
staff with q gold head. engraved with
the sovereign's cipher and crown. "A
major or observation-disclosures OF the
corps assisted him inlts duties, bearing
an ebony STAFF tipped with silver, and
was known as the Silver Stick in
of Life Guards was developed into
three regiments. known respectively
to this day as First and Second Life
Guards, whose tunics are scarlet. and
the Horse Guards. whose tunics are
hiIs; and who are knpMn as the
steel cuirasses. For more than cen-
tury they were recruited exclusively
from men of birth and education.
and were officially described MS
the Gentlemen Of tho Life Guards
the rank and file Is cons
posed OF mon taken from the humber
Glasses OF life. although Frequently ,a
young Fellow OF birth who has come to
grief financially enlists In these SPLEEN
did regiments, whose pay Is superior
to that Of the cavalry regiments of the
1t Is. doubtful whether the King will
permit the project Of the Secretary Of
State for War to be carried into effect;
.at5any rate, as far as. he Horse or Life
Guards are concerned. the more SO as
ZIG hHoWS lNal Atne5 sentiment. Oh me
army and OF the people are with him
In tho matter. While In india, Lord
reforms, carried on with a
free hand Independently OF the War
Department at Whitehall. have been
most successful and satisfactory: Soc
rotary FIaldane has been xtremely un-;
fortunate in his army forms IN Eng,
land. For his scheme of the forma-
tion Of a territorial force to serve as a
reserve to the standing army, and to
take the place Of the militia, and Of
the volunteer armies, which he wiped
out Of existence, has proved q lamenta-
Bile failure, the Terriers" as they arc
called being In point! OF :, numbers
100000 men inferior to the volunteers!
let alone the militia. Indeed. so great
has been the failure OF Secretary Hal
dane, who is q lawyer by trade, thatsit
Is reported that he Is about t to surren-
der lis secretaryship o. war to Win;
5ston sChurchill and to succeed. Lord
sLoreburn as Lord High chancellor.
Both Loreburn and Haldane8 deny the
report But 1t has been traced to Mrs.
'Dodo" Asquith, tho wife ofBsthe Pre-.
Mier, and she ought to know. s53
II talking about gold and silver sticks,
reminds inc that another OF these
atgnltarles OF tho Court of ST., lanes
who bear a wand OF offic 9, ma lnely Ad
Enliral8 Sir. Henry Stephenson.st the Gem
tleman Usher OF tho Black Rod to the
ts1rh t,rt Il 4 f-HfI ~ tAN VI n r.