Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-07-13
HOW ENGLAND PREPARED FOR WAR
Men Taught the Officers Training Corps Soon Qualified for
Commissions in the Army Sent to France-The Oxford
Contingent Enlisted in a Body.
By. R. A. sELBIE
OF the Officers Training Corps.


The follotOtn0 description Of the British
method Of preparing officers qualified to
command the army enlarged for purposes
Of tUdr should be OF interest TO every
American 1Uho t0ould HE to SEQ prep
drdttonS for the defense of his otOn ooun-
try entered upon toith an Intelligent
appreciation of the gravity Of the problem.
THE Boer War taught England many les
i sons, not the least of which was the in
adequacy of her supply of officers ir case Of
a big war. The pinch was felt even during
the Boer War. chiefly owing to the reckless
ness with which officers exposed themselves
and the quickness of the Beers to recognize
this fact and to pick them off, When Lord
Haldane became War Minister he took ad-
vantage OF the lesson and proceeded to estab-
lish the present officers training CORE and
territorial battalions, known as a whole as
the territorial system. This was to take the
place of the od-tme volunteer and militia
companies, and the justification for his far
seeing policy is already apparent. It's sue
cess is phenomenal, and the greatest Of its
results Is the sure supply of officers 1t has
created from an excellent material of young
university, business and professional men.
The organization Of the system is roughly
as follows: 1t is divided into two groups, the
Officers Training Corps and the territorlals
The latter are local formations, as are the
corresponding units Of the regular forces
Their officers are drawn from the professions
businesses and universities, the men from all
walks of life; shop assistants, factory hands,
clerks and even laborers. They are primarily
intended for home defense; to take the place
Of the regular army when the latter is fight
ing abroad That is. they cannot be COM
PEELED to go abroad, but in the present war
several territorial battalions were asked on
parade to volunteer for foreign service and
all, to the last man, offered. The precedent
has been followed and many terrtorials who
were comparatively speaking, trained on the
outbreak Of the war, were sent straight out
to India. Egypt or the front.
Volunteering Is Not 'Playing Soldier"
The territorials are just as much a part OF
the army as the regulars. and this vital fact,
together with the respect and admiration
they are now earning for themselves, has
done much to destroy the former contempt
in which volunteers were held (and very
often justly heidi by the regulars, and to
promote good feeling between the two forces.
Volunteering is no longer playing at SOL
diers"; man has to work and 10 work hard
to keep his place. and he must be keen on
his job. Again. 1t involves no expense 10
Join the territorial force. Uniform and
equipment are supplied. and army paw Is
earned each year in camp. The REQUIRE
ments are attendance at a specified number
OF drills per year, the passing OF musHetry
courses and efficiency standards and the at
tendance yearly at fOrtnights camp.
The ofieers' Training Corps, or the O. T.
c., Is the senior branch OF the territorial
force In It a man is trained for one of
three things: The regular army, after leay-
ing school or college; the special reserve
of officers or the territorial army. as de-
scribed above. The cadet joining the regular
army proceeds in the ordinary manner 10
sandhurst or one OF the other military
schools. cadet who joins the special re-
serve aIter his o. I. G. training Joins a reg
uar regiment, but Is placed on its reserve
strength; that is Is attached TO one Of its
reserve battalions. OF which every regiment
has several He Is required TO pass = cer-
tain amount OF time with the regiment on
joining IT, at the expiration OF which time
all he has 20 do Is TO attend a fortnizht,s
camp every year. While he Is sim a cadet
he may pass one or both OF two eertiaeataa
called A and B. Without a eertiAeate tbs
time he must put IN Is six months either
straight on, or with intervals, a. he can ~
It In with his ordinary work With eertia-
cate be must do ave months. with B only
three On Joining he gets 3 bonus Of some
eso tsl5el for uniform and equipment. ana
he receives officers pay during hts training
ana during camp cadet who joins The
territorial force merely does the ordinary
training o. his battalion as described above.
me Q. 2. q. itssif s divided into tzsa sec
sions' senior ana junior. 4hs Junior consists