The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-02-13

the military academies, not because they have not done good work, but because they are now almost negligible in num- bers The three avenues of approach to a commission In the British army to- day are direct from civil life, through one of the public schools or university or ficers' training corps, or through one or the territorial regiments which have been specially designated as officers training corps
 The most interesting from the civilian point of view is the last of the three. The most notable of the O. T. c. regi- ments are the Inns of Court, the Artists Rifles and the Honorable Artillery com pany, all of London. The Inns of Court Is familiarly known as 'sthe devils own,' from the fact that its membership Is con fined to lawyers--nembers of the four inns of court in London, of the faculty of advocates of Scotland and the King s inn of Dublin. and such other gentlemen as may be considered by the commanding officer to be specially eligible" It is a regiment with an honorable history, for 1t was organized in 1884 when under Lord Ellesmere, famous judge, it served in land operations against the Spanish Armada. It fought in the civil war under Lord Lyttelton, and it furnished two valiant corps" to quote it's official his tory, for service in the Napoleonic wars. It was CnFtSI6neQ tHo 16tll OWA Wy King George III, who is also credited with inventing It's bugle call. "A Guinea for the Governor and Crown Piece for the Clerk
 USED AS TRAINING CORPS The Artists Rifles is more modern regiment. Officially 1t is a battalion of the Kensington regiment, and before the
 war 1t was one of the crack territorial regiments of London. Its membership is
 largely composed of artists, actors, writ CTS and men of similar pursuits. It was sent to the front with the other terri
 torials early in the year, but Sir John
 French came to the conclusion that men of the standard of education of it's mem
 bers were wasted as privates. and desig- mated the battalion an O. T. c. regiment and sent it home to train The Honorable Artillery company is the city of London 8 crack regiment, the lineal descendant of the old train bands and the parent of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery company of Boston, U. s. A. It also went to the front at the beginning of the
 war and is still there, but 1t Is being used as an officers training corps. the men getting their training in the trenches.
 Some idea of the amount of work done
 by these corps may be obtained from the record of the Artists who at the pres ent moment have 1900 future officers hard at work in their camp at Gidea park, near London. Their output of young officers is expected in few weeks to reach 800 a month. The Devils Own have turned out since the war began nearly 4O0O of ficers, and are now furnishing over 200 a week. The Honorable Artillery company, on account of it's work in the trenches, has not turned out so many as the other two regiments, but it's record Is we'll over 1000.
 "a En9 olyc fo oI-. pa.< l.. one of these special corps, although in cases where men display exceptional abil- ity the course is much shortened. For the first nine weeks the man is placed in the ranks and worked like any other private, but in addition to that he ha S to study hard when his work as a private is done for the day. The last four weeks are devoted to special course of study in the higher branches of hls profession, including military law. map reading, sketching, scouting, signalling and all the hundred and one things that an of hcer must know. From time to time the camp is visited by specialist officers of high rank, who look the .smateriap' over carefully and pick the best of if for appointments in the artillery, the engi- neers and other branches requiring a spe- cial bent of mind, or special scientific knowledge.
 AsA OoA 0OA~4 4A4N V G 0l
 As soon as the mans course at the training camp is finished he Is posted to a regiment and then he begins a period of hard work under the eye of his colonel
 He not only must train his own men. but he must continue his own studies. and if he shows any sign of stacking off after having obtained his commission he is promptly reported by his colonel to the war office and a notice appears in the
 London Gazette" that "the commission of Second Lieut.. So-and-So is cancelled the King having no further use for his seIvices,'
 The man who obtains his commission di-
 rect from civil life undergoes much the same training at the hands of his colonel
 It is sometimes said spitefuliy that these commissions are obtained through influ- ence, an in one sense of the word this is
 true, but this does not mean that unfit men are foisted on the army because of their influential connections. The man
 who applies for a commission direct from civil life must present two testimonials from persons known to the military au- thorities. The term persons known, is generously interpreted to mean persons of recognized standing in the community. so that no young man of proper educa- ton anc decent connections need have any difficulty in securing the necessary ,,o4 <,r m, lions