The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1917-04-16
MAKE A RECORD
FOR EFFICIENCY
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 armie.
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 thai
had to be surmounted. There was q
sorry tatterdemalion stage, due to
shortage of boots, uniforms and Sc
forth.
The tiny army that went out to Mons
In August, 1914, was probably the best
trained body of troops in Europe for
it's size. It's high standard was that
which those training the new armies
had before them as an ideal. The first
IL 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 175,000 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 it.
When war started the country had
fewer than 100000 rifles, of which only
the authorized reserve of 100000 re-
NAMED 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 I'M
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, were
retained for training purposes; retired
officers ("dugOuts'O were appointed in
large numbers; many civilians over the
age of twenty-five received their first
as Heutenants or captains.
The wisdom of providing a 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-
sity O. t. G. provided more than $500
officers for the army; Cambridge Uni
7ersity o. T. c., more than 1000; three
northern universities more than 1000,
ind Inns of Court o. T. G. more than
$500.
New Army Off After Nine Months.
Only nine months after embodiment
he first new army was sent to the
ront, closely followed by the second
-ild llllu INCu SOlllC ulNlSlOIS VI tuC
ourth and fifth were fit to go to the
ront barely a year after they had
een raised. And none of them gave
bad account of themselves.
The secret of the great triumph over
difficulties lies chiefly in the magnifi-
ent spirit Of all ranks. If any special
ank is to be picked out, it is undoubt-
dly true that the backbone of these
ew armies was the junior subalterns.
Mostly unframed, or half trained,
hey came to learn their work with
heir men, and had no false shame in
cling them sO-without any prejudice
discipline. Not content with the
zacting labors Of the parade ground,
ley sat up late preparing their work
,r the next day, studying military
,xtbooks, practicing problems of
rategy and tactics; at mess hardly
~ junior subaltern talked anything
1T "shop." They put posers to the
ajors and the colonies, which these
willingly tackled. They were, in
ct, all keen and on their mettle, and
! on the whole they had been well
losen for brain power and aptitude
command they taught themselves
I'd their men, too, as they went.
The same tribute is applicable in
eater or less degree to all ranks.
here was everywhere determination
overcome difficulties somehow and
get on with the work.