El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1914-10-10
INDIANS
EAGER To HELP
ENGLAND WIN
Do Not Know How to Sur
render and Fear Nothing
Living or Dead.
"KUKRI" Is FLUNG
WITH DEADLY AIM
By HERBERT TEMPLE

ONDON. Eng. Oct 1o.-The com
ing Of the Indian troops 10 fight
- in France recalls TO mind that
Il was a Frenchman who first organ
lied the natives Of Hindustan to 60
to war in European fashion and for
Europeans
It was NJ Duplex, the able and am
bilious governor OF Pondicherry' who
EMPLOYED French o<Hcers to form the
natives into companies Of fixed
strength and with a regular o-Eaniza-
ton uniformly clothed and paid and
equipped and accoutreo,
This was back in the Old days OF
the 18th century, when france and
Great Britain still disputed Tor the
great prize OF india
MS new force governor Duplex
called Eepahis and the system proved
sTrcb q success that II was soon irni-
tated by the English
The first troops raised by the British
were dressed in white Jackets ana
snort breeches, with the legs bare and
the feet shod with sandals. The head
dress was a cloth turban made up on
2 frame, with brass boss on me
crown. The uniform was gradually
brought 10 European styles but even
when the shake had been introduced,
there was one feature the Hindu would
never wear-the leather peak The
Indian soldier will wear nothing OF
Most Are From PunJabL
The bulk OF the Indian army IS from
the single province Of the Pun1ab. The
Punjabi, whether Pathans PunJabi
Mussuluan. sikh OF Dogra- is an ex-
ceIienf soldier. He is not superior to
the Gurkha, but most Of the Gurkhas
are not British subjects. They are
mercenaries from Nepal, the mountain
state TO the north
e. e. a~
tive troops Of India have been utilized
for service in other countries AS 1ar
hack as 1891. q force took part IN
the operations against the French in
Egypt and accompanied the army in
its memorable march across the desert
from KOsseir to the Nile others saw
fighting in the Maurltius and Java
expeditions in 1910 and 1911; IN the
Chinese opium war Of 1s40-42: IN the
Abvssfnian expedition Of 1857, the
Egyptian war OF 1882, and some non
combatant details even were sent to
the BOer war.
France consists. according 10 best ad-
vices, Of two divisions, a cavalry d.
vision and other troops There seems
almost no limit 10 the number OF men
An Engllshman who has spent some
time in India gives the following Jrib-
ute TO the Indian troops.
Make Fine Soldiers.
our crack native corps, irrespective OF
caste, race sect, or creed, simply DO
not exist I do not differentiale be-
tween Gurkhas, Silzns. Rajputs, Pa
TO do So Led By British officers. they
are each as effective a fighting force
as Is TO be found in any British regi-
1T is true that the softer Eadrasi
cannot be classed as q fighter with his
harder brethren north OF a line drawn
roughly from Poona to Calcutta but
even granting this much in favor Of
OF the Madras Sappers and Miners is
one which many q British regiment
would not be sorry TO own Well do
I remember review at Bangalore
when these fellows marched past Their
ranks were q blaze OF medals
Eats Anything.
"On active service there IS one rea-
son why; apart from his priceless fight
ing qualities, johnny GurkhR is a
treasure He viii eat practically any
thing. 1t has been said that he viii
fight only alongside Highlanders.
Those who care TO may believe this
side with a battalion Of moths-if they
were British ones. dead shot with
his "kulzri with its laurel leaf shaped
blade-he can not only slash with II
but can fling It accurately. The Ger
man crown prince discovered in India
that Johnny" Gurkha fears neither
man nor devil
The Gurkha's hardness with his
kukrf reminds ne OF the true story
Of a Tillager in the Rewah state. He
was subject Of the Maharaiah who
has offered even his Jewels TO our
cause. This man, AIMED only with a
snort kulhart (Anglice: AK, was in
the line beating up q tiger through
dense jungle.
Finding he had dropped his limited
supply OF tobacco, he retraced his steps
B short way to try TO find it Friend
stripes awaited himself OF this gap IN
the line to break back Our hero spot
ted him just IN time, and crouching
behind bush with his ak uplIfted, hit
the tiger a crack on the skull as he
was sinking by.
AS vegetarians. the Rajputs are not
50 easy TO feed on active service, but
lack Of flesh food does not impair their
qualities Finely built, and as
sturdy as anyone could wish, these men
go into battle guided by one rule. That
Is: No surrender"