Evening star., 1915-04-11
American Newspaper Men.
Recruits, Declare Militia
. men Here Better.
KlTCHENER'S MEN PLUCKY.
BUT OFFICERS GREEN
Monk" Baskerville and Chum Back
From Rough Experience IN
British Cavalry

From nv experience lid Kitchener :
ew army and my observations Of the
National Guard | would say that ~ Z
battle the average militiamen COULD
rIefest twice their number Of English
lnen in the new army
Thi. is the opinion Of al American
hewspaper man who joined the English
forces and is nov on American soil
without the slightest desire 10 go
through the experience again. The sol
|dier of fortune is W NJ Baskerville
known to southern newspaper workers
rs Monk" Baskerville. He is In Wash
tngton now and is telling his expert
ences in King Edwards Horse, cav
airy regiment mobilized at Watford
Werts. England.
The average officer Of the National
Guard is far superior in military train
ing to the average officer in Kitchener $
army, continued Mr. Baskerville.
He and his chun. RutledSe T. Gard
er, also a newspaper man of southern
Experience. sailed from Boston on a cattle
ehip in December and joined the British
forces soon after reaching England
Personally ] didn't care whether J
1oined the allies or the Germans. said
baskerville in relating his experiences
o friends here. Il was entirely neu-
raj. What | wanted was to get to the
fEont and see as much as possible of
he greatest war in history. But ] saw
10 actual fighting. | did, however. see
service in an organization camp.
And allow me TO say that what Sher-
ian said of war applies also 10 the
lreparation and training for war
Join the Army.
Two days after reaching London we
bought 10 join the army. We wanted
0 enlist in the Strathcona Horse, a
'anadian regiment, but the ranks were
Ill. Then we thought we'd get little
cal excitement by enlisting in the
,viators, the Royal Flying Corps. Our
Enthusiasm was dampened somewhat t
when we found that enlistment was
or eight years, with four years of
reserve duty. Remembering our friends
and creditors In the United States, we
iecided we didn't want TO serve the
ling quite as much as that.
I'VE learned they were taking men
or King Edwards Horse at Scotland
Yard. 1T was a regiment Of overseas
dominion fellows. so we made appli-
alton. They sent US to an adjoining
room, where we. with twenty other
Fellows, We're stripped and examined
~ an army physician. He weighed us
treasured US and put US through lot
pr tricks. Gardner and | passed first
lass examinations.
battery of questions. a big. fierce
looking sergeant asked us where we
we're born, how old we We're. whether
re were lrarried. if We We're British
Eubjects The first place that
hought Of was Toronto. SO I told him
was born there. He looked at me and
aid: 'Cawn't you be more specific:
lad written fetteIs to a young woman
n Rosedale. suburb of Toronto. so
uentioned that as my birthplace. and
;ardner followed suit. Then We took
lie oath of allegiance TO the king and
ve were British soldiers. a few min
ties later We received our first pay and
bur first intination of British disci-
pline. We We're marched TO the pay
|raster's room. and had scarcely en-
cred when sublie7itenant bawled out
Take off your hats. you bloody fools.
Iur hats came Off. Our names Were
allied, and as each man walked u
he desk he received shilling and
pence 133 centsl. This was our mes:
llowance. supposed to buy our foot
,intil 10 O'Clock the next day, wheI
We were to entrain for Watford. Herts
En- gland.
They reached Watford next day ant