El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1916-06-17


ing them up to the required standard.
can hardly be conceived
We speak Of raising million or Two
million men. That is q relatively easy
matter compared with the task OF or
gaming them into new divisions ready
10 take the field.
Had Little to Build On.
Kitchener had little TO build on not
much more than the United states
would have now. On January 1, 1913.
the British regular army consisted OF
15611O men in the British Isle and IN
the colonies, 7S.476 men In India.
1876 men in the army reserve ana
63,0S9 in the special reserve total
rof 444.431 regulars Adding the Terri
eorials (Which closely parallel the
American national guard 25l. tO6 men,
We have a grand total OF 695sl5t men
But when war broke out only l36. zoe
regulars, combatant and noncombat-
ant, were in the British Isles, with the
reserves which had to be mopillzed tc
bring the regular battahons up 70
war strenEt The TerritOrials were
not expected to be ready for active
service until they had had further
esFeeks and months Of continuous tram
ing There might also be included the
national reserve. zl4.6S strong. OF
older time expired raan. OF whom
about 10000 men at once Joined the
colors on the declaration Of war
It was out OF the regulars and the
reserves that the eXpeditionary force
was formed which left England under
Sir John French, $4,000 strong. and
fought IN the defeat at Mons and the
victory at the Marne-
Getting at the matter from announcer
angle, we see again the immensity OF
the British effort under Kitchener.
Since the war began 10000 new COM
missions have been issued In Aug
usrs 1914, the entire CORPS OF officers
consisted in round numbers of 1900
regulars and 10000 Territorials. or
$4,000 in all The number OF commits.
stoned officers has increased about
six fold
Kitchener Called Upon.
There was only one man who could
DO IL There was only ore man whom
the country would have trusted TO do
II. That was lord Kitchener
The nation called him to the war Of
lice. he went there on August o,
and the very next day parliament sane
e1ioned the addition Of SOC. 600 men to
the regular establishment and Kitch-
ener issued his first appeal for 100,-
zoe recruits That was all he could
handle until he had his facilities for
training and equipment in order.
There was a magic in the name OF
lord Kitchener all through that Won
derful autumn Of 1919, when the mar
tial spirit of England. Scotland, Wales
and Ireland was stirred from its
long slumber- He had the complete
confidence Of the government and the
unQuestiOning obedience OF the entire
people.
II at any moment down TO the
battle OF the Marine, when the tide OF
retreat was stayed and the Germans
were thrown back to the Aisne. lord
Kitchener had appealed TO the country
TO accept compulsory service, there
are those who think that II would
have been accepted without serious
6emur.
Did Not Ask for COmpuIsfon.
Lord Kitchener did not ask for
compuision- Recruits were rolling in
magnificently. The pressing difficulty
OF the moment was not shortness or
numbers, but inadequacy CT military
equipment in every shape and form.
The work in every department Of the
war office suddenly increased, and not
by arithmetical progression merely.
On Nov Is, 1914. premier AsCuith
asked parliament for a second million
men and said that 100000 recruits had
Joined, not including Terrttorials- But
in the winter months that followed,
recruiting slackened- Voluntary ser
vice had raised two million men, more
Than was thought probable before the
war But IL was causing disagreed Bile
complications The martial enthus-
iasm which swept men out OF tie
mines, the railways the engineering
-Shous the chemical works might 70
have been controlled by the state.
In March, 1915, came the disaIlus- ,
loning British offensive at NeJve
Chapelle- Then followed the great
scandal OF the shortage IN high ex-
plosive shells.
The shell shortage resulted in the