The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1916-04-04
By L. b. JOHNS.


All of the troops that Great Britain
has sent into the war on the western
frontier with the exception of the regu-
lar army and the Australian Organiza-
tions have received from six TO nine
months training at the concentration
camps in England and Havre, France.
This includes the Canadian troops, that
were partially trained at the beginning
of the war and the British territorials.
These statements are based on the re-
port of military observers OF the War
College. Even the German troops, &C
cordiQg to the reports of the observers,
are being given additional training be-
fore they are sent into the trenches.
"A camp for recruit training" says
the report in commenting upon the man
ner in which new levies are being han
died in Germany. was established at
Beverloo, Belgium, for a course of eight
weeks training especially in firing and
combat exercises following the prelimI-
nary training at home stations. Capacity
of the camp is $500 animals and 5000
men. Similar depots for increased train
ing in essentials of the character OF war
fare experienced were established
throughout Germany, the course Of each
being eight weeks. Men were trained to
fire from trenches and trees. praCticing
concealment. They were trained in the
This is a remarkable discovery accord
ing to army officers, when consideration
is given to the intensified training which
the German soldier receives at home
upon being called into service. The mini
mum training for German soldiers is two
years, yet it appears that the demands
of the great European conflict make 1t
necessary to give the German soldiers a
special course of eight weeks. The sup
Elementary training as such as the Ma
tional Guard of this country gets in
three years and it is more intense than
any troops would submit to in times of
peace.
Despite the fact that the training pc
Rod for the French soldiers before the
war was three years, a new course of
training for the troops at the front has
been reported by the military observers
of the War College. The French troops
spend three days in the trenches, three
days in environments exposed to bonn
bardment and six days in the quiet. can
tonments They are then sent twelve
days in the second line Of reserve where
they are subjected to a rigorous course
of special training.
Saws the report to the War College:
while in the second line for twelve
days a fifteen-kilometer march is had
each day, and company battalion or
regimental maneuvers. Bayonet fencing.
throwing petards, reversing parapets OF
trenches, crawling, running, target prac-
tice, and machine gun practice Stilize
the entire period in the second line. One
half of the French army drills while the
other half guards the trenches"
The training of the French infantry is
especially intensified under the new
plan which has been adopted since the
beginning of the war One report says:
THE infantry is trained to organize ana
carry out the assault Of three lines OF
trenches in rear of their positions to re-
serble German trenches In their front
and on terrain similar to that in their
fronts Men are trained to rush 100 kllo-
meters and lunge at figures dressed as
German soldiers in the trenches used for
assault training"
According to the reports of the observ-
ers the Canadian troops, many OF whom
had service in the National Guard OF
this country, were treated as raw re-
cruits when they reached England. This
accounts for the complaint that the
Canadians made that they were not be-
ing sent to the front. 1t will be re-
called that the Canadian expedition was
given a period of training of a month
to six weeks before it sailed for Eng
land.
Although the Canadian contingent"
reports one Of the observers, had some
training before sailing, the first expe-
dition OF 81 $50 men was sent to camp at
Salisbury Plain for six months sddi-
tionaI training. One regiment was Civ
en- only two months in England and two
months in France before being placed
in the trenches in February, 1915. 1t
was composed largely OF men with
previous service in the regular army or
South Africa. Other than this regiment
the personnel and training of the Cana
dams lie said to have been inferior to the
territorial forces.
rThs frst Canadian division was= sent