The Monte Vista journal., 1917-03-24
New British Armies Perfectly Or
ganized and Fitted Out for
Business of War.
HIGH IDEALS ARE FOLLOWED
Standard Set by Gallant Force Which
Went Out to Mons Closely Fol-
lowed in Training Thou
sands Of Recruits.

London.-Great BrItain's new armies
are now so perfectly organized and fit
ted out that one may be likely to lose
sight Of the greatness of their creation
and the unexampled difficulties that
had to be surmounted. There was d
sorry tatterdemalion stage, due to
shortage of boots, uniforms and so
forth.
The tiny army that went out to Mons
In August 1914, was probably the best
trained body Of troops in Europe for
Its size It's high standard was that
which those training the new armies
had before them as an ideal. The first |
IT months of the war was the difficult |
period. Nearly all the efficient instruc-
tors had gone abroad with the men,
who added another laurel to England's |
military record In the great retreat |
from Mons.
At the outbreak of war the accom-
mediation available for single men in |
barracks in the British isles was hard |
ly 175OO0 units. Hosts of recruits |
poured in. 1t was difficult to get tim
Der, labor, inspectors; to all the camps |
water and gas or electric light had to
be laid; old roads were repaired, |
new ones made, and special lines Of
railroad laid to all the largest camps. |
Civilian Clothing Used.
In the clothing dilemma, while the
dozen makers of khaki cloth were be-
Ing expanded to two hundred, civilian
overcoats were bought up and served
out to soldiers. Recruits who could
produce good suit Of their own were
told to wear 1t.
When war started the country had
fewer than 100000 rifles, of which only
the authorized reserve Of 10000 re-
mained after the original force, mObi-
lized on August 4, had been armed.
And at that time the weekly output of
rifles in the United Kingdom was un-
der two thousand. OF guns there were
at the outbreak of war only enough for
eight divisions, with the authorized re-
serve for wastage.
The greatest difficulties arose from
lack of officers to train the new armies.
On the eve of starting an order came
to the expeditionary force from the
war Office that every battalion should
leave behind one captain and one sub
altern to assist in training. That
helped greatly. Some two hundred of
the Indian army. home on leave, We're
retained for training purposes; retired
officers ("dugouts'O We're appointed In
large numbers; many civilians over the
age OF twenty-five received their first
commissions as lieutenants or captains.
The wisdom of providing method of
rapidly expanding the commissioned
ranks by means of the Officers Train
Ing corps became apparent. Within
the first year of the war Oxford univer-
gity o. T. c. provided more than $500
officers for the army; Cambridge Uni
versity O. r. c., more than 1000; three
northern universities more than 1000,
and Inns of Court o. T. c. more than
$500.
New Army or After Nine Months.
Only nine months after embodiment
the first new army was sent to the
front. closely followed by the second
and third. Even some divisions of the
Fourth and fifth were fit to go to the
front barely year after they had
been raised. And none of them gave
bad account of themselves.
The secret of the great triumph over
difficulties lies chiefly in the magnsf-
cent spirit of all ranks. 1f any special
rank is to he picked out, 1t Is undorht-
adly true that the backbone of these
new armies was the junior subalterns.
Mostly unframed, or half trained
they came to learn their work with
their men, and had no false shame In
telling them sO-without any prejudice
of discipline. Not content with the
exacting labors of the parade ground,
raey sat up late preparing their work
for the next day, studying military
textbooks, practlcing problems or
strategy and tactics; at mess hardly
any Junior subaltern talked anything
hut "shop" They put posers to the
majors and the colonels, which these
as willingly tackled. They were, In
ract all keen and on their mettle, and
ny on the whole they had been well
chosen for brain power and aptitude
40 command. they taught themselves
and their men, too, as they went.
The same tribute Is applicable In
rrenter or less degree to all rahks.
There was everywhere a determination
70 overcome difficulties somehow ana
10 get on with the work.