The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1914-09-23
S|OEL|GATS ON
WAR IN EUROPE
Asiatic Hordes Add To
Present Aspect.
GHURKAs vALoROUs FIGHTERS
Small In Size But They New
er Give Up-Fight
With Knives.
MAKEUP OF THE INDIAN ARMY

The throwing by England of thou
sands of her Indian fighters into
France to combat Germany and the
Importation of French African
troops into the field has given amaE-
ing aspect to the international war
Germany now is opposing English,
French, Belgians, Russians, Hindus
and Africans.
The remarkably short time after
the beginning of war in which the
| British Indian troops were seen
crossing Canada from the Pacific to
The Atlantic astonished The Ger
mans. 1t indicated that the Asiatic
soldiers we're on their way about the
same instant that war was formally
declared by Great Britain.
England, If necessary, can pour
into France from India, 23S,0OO
trained men, of which $4,000 are
trained British troops, including
some of the crack regiments of the
royal army. the remainder being ma
tive Indian soldiers, fit comrades on
the firing line of Frances Turcos
and Spahis.
According to the official figures.
the strength of the Indian army al
| ready on its-way to the front is: In
fantry, 1872 200; cavalry, $4,000; ar
ti'Iery, 10000; engineers, etc, g.
CSC
The main strength of the Indian
army is it's infantry, Brahmans, Raj
puts, Jats, Sikhs, Punjabis, Dogras,
Mahrat;es and Ghurkas. of all castles
and several religions; Mohamme-
dan, Hindu, Buddhist, all are war
riors who will lay down their lives
for the British, and the dark-skin-
ned regiments of the Indian ARM
are a fighting force hard to ston-
Though all arrangements for Of
Tense and defense in the present
great war have been kept profound
" secret it is probable that the or
der to bring the Indian troops to
France was not given without long
and careful thought on the part of
the War Office.
To take the army out of India
would be to leave the vast empire
open to attack from without and
mutiny from within. There is al
ways talk of uprisngs in India. 1t
was finally decided, though, that
there was no immediate prospect OF
international trouble in India, and
the lineup of the allies made it i'm
probable that any foreign attack
would have to be resisted. With
Germany as England's only enemy
and the Kaiser pretty much occcu-
pied at home and in China defending
. the Fatherland, it was deemed al
! most a certainty that nothing could
0 occur in India that would require
the presence of troops there.
Among the most interesting as
well as the most formidable fighting
outfits in the Indian army are the
Ghurkas. There are ten regiments
of the GEuyka rifles. These lit :
fighters who come from Nepal and
trace their descent from the Raj
puts, would rather fight than eat
In appearance they are deceiving
. They are short, stocky little men, o.
somewhat the appearance of thu
japanese, only bit heavier. The!
: wear perpetual grins on their faces
and the grins do not come off wheI
they go into a fight.
The Ghurkas were conquered II
1914 by the British after years o
fighting and have become loyal sub
jects of England. When the Ghurk,
regiments were first made a part O
the Indian army they did not seen
to take well TO organized method
of warfare. II was not until the ar
my authorities allowed them L
make their national weapon, the ku
llri--a long, curved knife-a part O
their equipment that the Ghurka
regained their prestige as fighters
Their instructors never could max
them use the bayonet.
In close quarters the Ghurk
hrcws awav HIS rife and takes I
his knife, which he uses with tellin
effect. When charged by cavalr
the Gurkas stand up and fire at tn
horsemen until they come With
close range. Then the natives dro
to the ground. AS the cavalry pass
es over them the little Indians an
up and busily at work-stringin
the horses and clinging to stirrup
stabbing the riders.
, This method OF fighting is not VI
like that OF the French Turcos, VIII
also play 'possum" when charge
by a heavier enemy. The Ghurka
like the Scotch Highlapders. use ba