Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1917-08-06
CHANGES IN BRITISH ARMY.
New Departments Created to Meet
Emergencies Of War.
ASSOCIATED Press Correspondence.

| London, July 27-The British army
| has undergone changes OF far-reach
| ing character since the outbreak OF
war in 1914, and it now possesses many
| branches unheard of in pre-war days.
| Every resource afforded by the mani
! fold capacity of this great industrial
| community has been harnessed to the
war chariot. says British statement
! from official sources.
There are certain respects in winch
the problem faced by the British army
| is unique: and one of the most strlk-
| ing of these is that it must be capable
Of campaigning in any part OF the
! world and in any climate. In the case
of armies like that of Germany, on the
other hand, the problem Of preparation
for war was relatively simple. The
ground on which the army was des-
tined to fight was known; it was an
army designed to do battle in par
ticular theater-Europe. In conse-
quence everything could be, and was,
planned along certain well-defined
lines.
In the present war the importance
of field works was apparent at very
early stage, partly owning to modern
artillery and partly to the confirmed
entrenching habit of the Germans
One of the cardinal instructions given
by the German commanders TO their
troops on first invading France and
Belgium was-"make trenches every
where" In fact all the continental
powers had in addition to their corps OF
engineers, very large numbers of
trained pioneers, organized in bat
talions, and suitable for use either as
fighting troops or in the construction
and maintenance of field works ana
communications. The absolute impor-
lance of the last-named can perhaps
only be realized by one who has seen
the roads during an advance
But, while the continent was to this
extent prepared for trench warfare as
was natural in the circumstances, it
was otherwise with Great Britain. In
the British service only the Indian
army possessed pioneer regiments,
these troops being always necessary i'll
conducting campaigns in the hill coun-
try. When the need for this class OF
troops became evident steps were TAX
en- to form pioneer battalions for the
expeditionary force. From the first
they proved their value.
Pioneers are prepared to fight or
work as may be required. They per-
form such services as the construction
and repair Of communication trenches,
fire-trenches and dug outs, the digging
Of trenches and wiring. Their duties
are manifold, and there is no form Of
usefulness at the front which the pio-
neer does not at one time or another
find himself called upon to undertake.
His activities range from carrying up
ammunition to retrieving the wounded
or holding a fercely disputed trench or
sap.
In the great advance Of the Somme
and in Artois the pioneers performed
work Of the greatest importance. The
duty Of consolidating the captured
ground and connecting it up with the
old front line of the attackers, largely
fell to them. In many places they took
part in the advance as infantry, in
others they kept the advancing lines
supplied with ammunition and water,
and beat off counter attacks. Their
losses have been heavy, but they have
accomplished their tasks in the face of
every obstacle.
AS rule, the pioneers remain IN the
vicinity of the trenches all the time
their division is in the line. and do not
go back for rest, except at long in
tervals.
The pioneer is as yet new type in
the British army, but he has long since
passed the trial stage, and has proved
his worth and steadfastness. His mettle
has been tried in the crucible of war
and very thoroughly it has stood the
test