El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-09-03

The Army OF India

troops in Burma and a garrison at
Alden, Arabia
The ermy, all told, would be small,
even If the country We're homogeneous
and peaceful. 1t is nothing in COM
parison with the great forces which are
forming in Europe and in the far east
If India had as many soldiers as Japan
has on a peace footing its army would
number three millions and If on a war
footing 1t woud be more than twelve
millions The Germans have 1 percent
of their whole population under arms,
and in times Of war they could put
percent of it into the field At the
same ratio India could have Is millions
under arms in the great wars of the
future and the only power that might
possibly surpass her in numbers would
be the Chinese, who at the same rate
could muster, perhaps, five millions
more.
Lord Kitchener and the Army.
The Indian army was made over by
lord Kitchener. 1 met him about year
ago here at Calcutta, when he was still
in charge of the troops. He speaks
highly Of the soldiers as a fighting
force and says they are loyal to the
government, although Attempts have
been made to corrupt them Lord Kitch-
ener when he came to India about eight
fined to one part of the country. He
consolidated these and mobiliztd them.
He made nine divisions, each of which
had its own general and staff These
were organized for war and each could
take the field intact, leaving enough
troops behind to maintain order. Every
division had its own transport and sup
ply arrangements, and the divisional
generals had great authority. At the
ca fiToo
pointed and a military college insti-
tuted to supply others. Lord Kitchener
reorganfzed the cavalry and infantry as
well as the other departments, and it
was during his administration that the
army proper was divided from the de-
partment of military supplies.
Military Supplies.
This last department has now its
own secretary. and it is one Of the
great business institutions of the gov
eminent. It deals with army contracts,
the manufacture of clothing tand ord
nance, the transportation Of animals
and food. and various other things. II
has factories for making boots and
clothing for the soldiers, factories for
making harness and also large estab-
lishments for the manufacture of field
guns, sheds and armament of various
kinds It has camel and cattle farms
and it supplies mules and horses and
other animals for transport There are
several camel corps, md there are
parts of the country where the camel
owners are given lands free on condi-
ton that they hold certain number
OF camels available for military serv-
ice. This department has also to do
with elephants, some of which are used
for dragging tht great guns through
the jungles and over the roads. In COM
ing long distances both elephants and
guns are transported by railroad.
The chief breeding farms for horses,
mules and donkeys are situated in GER
tain selected districts in northern India
and the Deccan. The system is to pur-
chase young stock and rear them on
the government farms. Horses for the
cavalry are also imported from Aus
tralia, and stations from Arabia for
the Improvement Of the native stock.
The Army as an Asset.
The officers here tell me that the
army is the best paying asset in John
Bulls schedule of East Indian invest
ments. 1t is kept up without taxing the
people at home, and il gives him a big
force which he can shift to
any part Of the world upon order. He
used 1t against the Beers, and also IN
China at the time of the Boxer rebel
lion In case Of an Asiatic war Of any
description it would be invaluable TO
him. and upon the whole it makts In
dia worth far more than it costs. This
il especially so. as the Hindus pay the
total expenses of the military supplies
and of the soldiers. The cost amounts
to something like 500 000. 900 a year
but this Is all raised by the taxation
of Hindustan.
The army is not extravagantly kept |
from western standpoint. The native |
soldiers receive something like two |
or three dollars per month, which is
good pay for this part of the world. !
Moreover, those who remain in the |
service for a fixed length OF time are |,
retired on a pension of 3 cents day,
and. therefore. can luxuriate for tho /
rest of their lives.
The Police Force
In addition to the army, India has !
a large civil police. Every town has |
It's local watchmen, and every city is !
patrolled by police with clubs in their |
hands. The local village police aggre-
gate something like 100000 men, and !
his would be hardly enough to give 1
me to each village. In addition there are
in the cities and on the whole
md other castles, who, in times past /
Ter and stealing, have been wiped out |
put there are still armed gangs who |
low and then go about committing |
'obbery and house breaking
The system of police work is excel
ent. The watchmen are under the eyes |
II the head men of their villages, and |
important crimes are reported to the
districts, and in many cases the watch
men are responsible for loses or
hefts.
Every place has its own police sta
ion and arrangements for patrol day
Ind night. In the larger towns there
ire police commissioners and at the
stations lists are kept Of released con-
-icts, suspected characters and habit
lal offenders. Such parties are careful.
= watched and when they move their |
equations go with them to form part
# the black list of their new residence
Professional Murderers.
Upon such lists are the descendants |
4 the thugs and members of the other |
,astes, who formerly made crime
BUSINESS There are many OF these The |
Zuru marus are professional thieve- |
nd pickpockets. They teach their chill
Iren to steal and lie out of it, They |
,urglarize houses not through the |
,oors or windows but by Digging