Evening star., 1950-01-08
| British Army
| Is Made Over
By Potriek O'Donoyon

urally, behind q great deal Of
paper, q new kind OF army Is
being built In Britain. II 1t is
q success 1t will run like q
thread of khaki through every
day life in every city and suburb
Of Britain. 1t will mean that
down every street there will be
half a dozen lads waiting to do
their service, or away obeying
orders In some windy camp. or
back at home with their battle
dress and boots In the cupboard,
still serving In the territorial
army.
For Britain Il faced with q
terrible problem when 1t comes
to defense. She must somehow
produce an army that could
fight O war on the continent
an army that could be swiftly
mobilized. Experts believe that
this time there will be no
"phony war;" no breathing
spice for putting right the
errors and idleness Of peace.
Like Their Fathers
As their solution they have
chosen TO design 4 huge army
OF reServists who will all have
done 10 months intensive train
ing in national service and q
small regular army whose pri-
mary function will be to train
this shapeless mass Of con-
scripts.
II you were to visit the army
today, you would not probably
see much to encourage you.
There is still something special
about the British soldier. He
still seems perpetually on the
verge of mutiny, still grumbles
monotonously. still thinks and
talks OF home as some perfect
place where food, money and
kindness flows as it could only
now In Paradise.
Even the lads Of 10 are
scarcely distinguishable in this
from their fathers. True, they
look 50 young sometimes that
one would expect their round
red faces under q Boy Scout
badge rather than under the
crest Of an ancient regiment.
They talk. swear. complain like
their fathers. The only differ
ence is that they seldom drink.
They live on tea, brown rivers
OF tea, and about six to eight
sweet cakes ("wads"o per head
per day.
Western Union plans to put
80 divisions In the field. OF
those Britain owes IL. At pres,
ent she has two available divi-
sions. One of these is ar
mored. one infantry. both in
Germany. and both more than
half composed of these young
men doing their national serv-
ice as conscripts.
Troops Scattered
In addition she has brigades
in Vienna and Trieste, strong
divisions In Hong Kong and
Malaga and troops In Cyprus.
Tripoi, East and West Africa,
In the West Indies and in the
Canal Zone.
These are heavy commit
ments, but 1t Is Western Union
that matters. This is the con-
tinental force that might have
to Withstand the massive blows
of some possible Russian in
vasion for the first few terrible
weeks until American and
commonwealth power could
make itself felt from across the
seas.
So in June Of this year the
young men who emerge from
national service into "civvy
street" will find they have q
legal obligation to. serve for
four years In the territorial
army and the great experiment
in national defense win have
begun.
At present the territorial
army Is a mere skeleton. The
best divisions are not quite up
to 25 per cent Of their strength,
the rest are a long way behind.
Clearly, Britain can no longer
find q sufficiently large volun-
teer army. Army pay Is too
poor. Full employment and the
welfare state have built 4
cushion against the world for
every young man.
tcoDyrisht 1onder Qessrvsr Ysrsin