The Washington herald., 1910-11-03
TRAINING MEN
TO BEAR ARMS

Compulsory military training of the
male population OF Britain nnds more
and more supporters among leading Eng
lishmen. The latest convert to a con-
scription law is no less a parsonage than
the Held marshal. Sir Evelyn Wood him
self. lie maintains that II is the duty
OF every man TO defend his country in
times OF national danger and that 10
do so effectively every man ought to be
trained systematically as a soldier in
times of peace. The field marshal also
is an enthusiast for widespread estab-
iishment OF miniature rifle ranges.
AT the invitation OF Lady St Heller,
Sir Evelyn recently attended the open
ing OF a practice range at Cold Ash, in
Berkshire. when he3 said that no matter
now inadequate the training on a mini
AZURE range may be In comparison with
that 70 be gained on an open range, il
may nevertheless overcome nine-tenths
or the difficulties OF service shooting.
For many years. Sir Evelyn has ad-
Vocatsd compulsory military service, and
he says that il is more needed to-day
than ever before in Britain for home
defense. This looks as IL the chief Of
the forces. with many others, shares the
fear Of a German Invasion" In his
opinion the difficulty OF persuading the
Englishmen Of this necessity mainly is
due TO the immunity which Britain has
enjoyed from the sufferings that go with
an invasion, whether successful or IN
successful. He said:
II any OF Us live 10 see our country
invaded, and, humanity speaking, I am
certain that some OF us will see that result
unless the whole male population is
trained 70 arms il Is well that all or
US should realize what would happen
right here when the invading enemy
reaches Newbury. In the Franco-Ger-
man war, on Ont occasion a French
general, 70 keep his soldiers In good
spirits. ordered that double rations
should be eXacted from the inhabitants
or Froschweiier, in Alsace Among the
inhabitants was a peasant family with a
mouse Iull or children. They had eleven
loaVes or bread IN the house, and gave
ten of them up 70 the requisitioning party.
concealing just one single loaf by m. king
their little girl sit on IT, She. however.
got 50 tired OF the uncomfortable seat
that the loaf had to be hidden in a dove
cote. where ii was found by another
party OF soldiers. The father pleaded
that his children must starve If the loaf
was taken, and the soldiers actually left
one-half OF IT, The soldiers simply had
20 live"
II was at FroschWeiler. by the wav.
that Gen. McheTs famous cuIrassier
brigade showed its sublime courage.
which. in repeated efforts 10 gain time
FOR the infantry to retire. accepted death
and was annihilated Only seven OF that
brigade survived. There were many in
stances Of Balaklava and Inkermann
courage displayed In the Franco russian
war, mainly at Gravelotte and Sedan. Of
which no poet has sung which no his
torlan has glOrined) One of those sur
vivors summed up the terrible charge at
Froschweiler in these words: Terrible as
was the battle. requistioning a French
village by French soldiers and carrying
OF from ones own people every morseI
Of food was unspeakably worse"
Sir Evelyn concludes his philippe by
saying that il we're high time that the
English should awake TO realities, and
that compulsory military training should
be enforced.
Now. all honor and respect for a man
OF the standing Of Sir Evelyn Wood. who.
as field marshal OF Great Britain, certain
ly ought 10 know what IS needed in his
own country. But the field marshal is
wrong. or, better he is in the right
church but in the wrong pew. Requisi-
tioning may be practiced in wartime: il
is. so TO say. a fortune Of war. But as
one who fought in the very war which he
quotes. | have 20 rectify the field mar
Han sold
circumstances, were allowed TO reauisitiou
anything or 70 place the slightest bur
den upon the inhabitants OF the French
territory which German troops occupied.
The Prussian ''commissariat" was so
excellent, the provisions which had been
made were SO far reaching and so alb
solutely satisfactory food and forage were
delivered 20 the different armies in such
record time from home supplies, for
which special trains always were kept
IN readiness. that there never was A
for making the life Of those
poor stricken people harder than what
the war itself made IL.
Has the field marshal really forgotten
the fate that befel several of the soldiers
OF a Prussian crack regiment VINO did
disObey that strictly enforced rule. and
took some wine from the cellar OF
wealthy landed proprietor cit was not
even case OF despoilng a poor suffer
ing family. and that count never missed
the few barrels OF wine taken? One
was peremptorily shot as leader, and
the others were ordered back from the
front to do reserve duty at home.
than which nothing can hurt
q soldiers pride more.
No. Sir Evelyn; France may have re-
QUESTIONED in her own country and from
her own people, Germans the invaders
never did in France. They did not fight
citizens or women and children.
And TO relate this occurrence as warn
ing before Englishmen amounts to a
possible admission that British soldiers.
In a similar case, might take the food
from English families And what. pray.
has the military training against an
enemy TO do with his yarn? Sir EVELYN
cannot possibly have meant that by
making sharpshOOterss of the men they
might be better able to enforce requisi-
tioning in their own country. while facing
an invading enemy.
Archibald Patrick Thomas. seventeenth
Baron BorthWick in Scotland and a rep
resentative peer, who died in London last
month, was OF exceptionally old lineage.
He was born in 1867 and succeeded 10 the
titles upon the death OF his father IN
1885. He married In 1901 Susanna May
Stewart, fourth daughter Of Sir Mark
aggart-Stewart. Lord Borthwick !
lett no male heir, his only child being a
daughter, the Hon. Isolde Frances Berth !
wick. born in 1903. The title. which /
dates from about 1852. always has gone
in the male line. but as In ancient Scot |
fish families il is not unusual for a title |
10 go in the female succession, falling /
male heirs, it is quite possible that the |
House of Lords may allow the daughter |
10 succeede TO the barony.
The first Bostwick OF whom there is a /
record was Sir William, who was in /
trusted with various Scottish embassies /