The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1917-07-10

it was not until March, 1915, that these
armed. To provide even limited
amount Of drill and musketry practice
1t was necessary to hand around the
few service rifles In each battalion as
the three Fates handed around their
solitary eye in the story of Perseus.
Many rifles were too worn to shoot
with sufficient accuracy for musketry
practice and there was no opportunity
| to cultivate in the soldier a personal
pride in his own rifle and the knowl-
edge of it's idiosyncrasies. This scarcity
Of rifles in the early days prolonged the
| training
In the artillery it was quite as bad.
In October, 1914, the artillery Of one d.
vision Of the first new army had only
six 18-pounders altogether instead Of
its full complement of "a; another had
only few of the obsolete 15-pounders !;
in March, 1915, some divisions had only
two guns per battery; even In May,
when the full complement of guns had
arrived for the first new army divi-
sions, the equipment of dial sights, etc.,
for indirect laying was still deficient.
The second new army was at that date
in very much the same state, except
that in their case the hOWtzer brigade
had not been delivered. The third and
fourth new armies were still worse off.
Difficulties in Teaching, Gunners.
For months the gunnegesfh some d.
visions had to learn what they could
of the mechanism of a rifle without
even seeing one. Some enthusiastic of
ficers provided dummy wooden guns at
their own expense and obsolete guns
were utilized for the same purpose.
When some such guns as these were
available there were no artillery in
StrumentS such as dial sights, range
finders, directors and so on, without
which modern battery is almost help
less, except those that could be impro-
vised by an ingenious timber gunner.
Similarly horses, harness and the prop
err wagons were hardly ever complete
for any battery of the first three
armies till on the very eve of their de-
parture over sea. NoncommissiOned
officers fit to train recruits were sadly
lacking. Those having experience
could not be spared from their regi
ments at the front. The most that
could be done was to have one expert
enced man in each unit and this only
by employing 200 officers of the Indian
army home on leave and retired officers
('dug out" as they were popularity
called. Some of these did important
not being up-todate and lacking the
capacity of making themselves So. The |
drill had been altered and the |
double company substituted for the old |
single company; in artillery the |
changes had been even more notable by |
the Introduction and almost exclusive |
use of indirect laying which required |
in artillery officers and noncOmmiS-
stoned officers facilities of rapid obser-
Walton and calculation; again the CO.
operation of artillery and airplanes
was a closed book to all the old school
gunners; the use of telephones and
signals had been developed in manner
unknown to quite recent generations
Of officers.
Work at the War Colleges.
To secure officers required the
courses at WoOlwich and Sandhurst
we're reduced and the age limit low
red. A certain number of commissions
we're granted directly to university
graduates and ex-warrant and noncom-
cin off civ |
;ions. There We're at the beginning of
he war % senior officers training
.Orps. Some of the best trained men
rom the senior corps were given regu
ar commissions at once and large num-
'ers received temporary commissions"
or service with the new battaliOns. A J
,reat many senior boys from the cadet
orps of the schools were also given
emporary commissions. 1t is an indi- :
alton of the value Of these O. Z. C.'s
t a critical junction of the war, that
within the first year of the war the |
oxford university 0. T. G. provided l
yer 1890, three of the smaller north
IN universities O. T. C.s over 1000
md the Inns of Court .. 7. C.'s over
800. 1t was found necessary to give
emporary commissions even to univer-
ity graduates and the senior boys in
ublic schools. Practically all pupils of 8
he public schools applied for commits
ions as soon as they reached the age :
NIT. Excellent material for junior
Ulcers was found among the young
len who had gone to the colonies or
oreign countries to take up a life Of
overture. No young men made better
Ulcers than these, for all had taken
Dme risks they had been on their own
and generally had men +
nder them and experienced dangers
V flood and field The supply of Off
ers for technical corps proved sur "A
risingly adequate, the war Office Sc
citing according to the recommends
ons of the heads of the correspond :
lg civil professions. In addition to
lese the war office has obtained a :
rge staff of specialists for work with "
lie troops, e. g.. psychologists, oph-
aurists, radiologists, der