The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-09-28
RECRUITS At ALDERsHOT
PREPARING FOR SERVICE
Sir Archibald Hunter in Charge of
100000 Rockies" Many of Whom
Never Handled Gun.
MEN COMFORTABLY HOUSED
Only Disappointed Ones Those Who
Arc Being Sent Awny-Some Idea
OF Immense Amount OF Detail
Necessary to Equip Troops.

Correspondence OF Associated Press
ALDERSHOT. September 1s.--Lieu-
tcnant-General Sir Archibald Hunter
Is In charge of 100000 Aldersho OF
"roUkies" nine tenths OF whom never
handled gun. When this army goes
to tho Continent. If 1t does go. he Will
doubtless be In command OF It.
In ordinary time OF peace 10000 men
arc as big IA force ms the barracks ut
Aldershot are strained to accommodate 6.
Now most Of this army Is living IN .bell
tents" although long rows OF wooden
nuts are already under construction
md will he completed before this army
or any part OF II leaves Aldershot. and
then IL tho war lasts at least 100000
men more will take it's place
The camps at Aldershot spread oycr
the plains throughout area at least
i've miles square Almost every branch
OF service IL represented. even the avi-
alton corps. forty biplancs and mono
planes being In the service at North
Camp. In London the cry IL for more
recruits. AT Aldcrshot the cry Is for
more noncomniissoned officers 10 act
rs drill matters Even those on PEN
sion are receiving regular pay. as well
ms their pension. II they will help train
the recruits. There arc often 200 new
men under one "noncon." and the com
intssioned officers apparently do no;
take any pet3onnl part In the drilling
nf recruits.
The recruits at Aldcrshot arc com
fortably housed and we'll fed. whatever
complaints TO the contrary may appear
In London papers Each man receives
three-Quarters pounds OF beef daily. and
ri ten men who were personally asked
about tho commissary by the writer
cvelg man cordially stated that he WAS
perfectly satisfied with What lie had to
ONLY DISAPPOINTED ONES
THOSE DI3ING SENT AWAY
The only disappointed ones In cNi
Gence were those who were being sent
away In the rush OF enlistment many
were taken on with rather superficial
examination and are now being wechcd
out. For example. an officer with coo
men from Glasgow came to London on
the same train with the writer. The
men had all failed on eye tests and 'h.
officers assignment vas TO pilot the
Scotchrnen TO London and to get them
aboard a train for Scotland. not an al
together easy Job. II was jokinrly
explained that the Scotch surgeons re-
ceir~d half "A crown for every man they
passed for enlistment
The recruits AR. earnest AMI are
worked very hard ono basic princip!.
Of the training seems 70 be the order
TINT ovory man shall "aIh at least NJ
teen miles daily. Since . large proper
tion Of the recruits come from Offices
and other Indoor employment this
alono Is a weary process Very few OF
the men have any desirc TO kick about
the footballs, which are provided FOR
recreation. ard the SIX moving picture
shows or "cincmas' as they arc called
here. are not all crowded. The pubs"
close In Aldershot at each even
ing. and by o'clock the town is as
quiet rs my rural village.
As for the immense amount OF detail
necessary TO equip the troops that arc
now being raised IN England. somc
idea of the undertaking may be CLEANED
from two acquisitions issued by the
War Once yesterday. the first for Lao.
600 blankcnts, tho second fc- 100000
razors Evidently the British soldier
is expected 10 shave himself, instead OF
enjoying the attentions Of Il company
barber.
arc In barbed wire enclosure. lighted
q, night by arc lights About 1000
Of them had arrived IL Aldcrshot on
September IL. and they are hav!ni; pre-
Cisely tho same fare as the English
soldiers. AZ one spectator pa radoxical-
u expressed II. they are perfectly
HAPPY. but thoroughly DISCONTINUED"
Ietpfrog is apparently their only rec
reation- At present they are not per-
home. although they had that privilege
until fcw days ago. IN tile House
Of Commons yesterday Z representative
~ the War Office said that such privi-
l"rcs nave been temporarily suspend
cd until such time as the German gov
eminent sees 1T 10 grant similar privi-
l"ces 10 British prisoners in Germany -
1Ic concluded his explanation of The
situation with this expression. "I hone
;on."