BRITAIN'S NEW ARMY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 132, 28 October 1914, Page 6

BRITAIN'S NEW ARMY.

KADD i , i:''v;ijs.-; i\ T Tit.-vi>:ix<.;. I | A C'OUi.S:-:.\L !'.si;Ki:TAKiXC. | | hut jukiiaca;-; Koit TIM': \vint::i:. : | Kiieliem i',-, ik-w uuiiy, v.i'iU'.s :i cur- | tin; srudiicn cn-iitiiiii m v.t-t i/...ii-s u | more ihiin twite d;i]jlieati,l ir, tin- iui-> | ing in three weeks of il:<- liivit- hail' i;i!l- K lui't million . i.i Li i.:>; n ri'.liteil at Hie. | Uule of (lie (ask iini/ii-.-.i .m t lie a.liu u- | ™'lW '"" '"" ' '' (

I;ai;I;ACK MV ( The tola! barra M h ; erommudai uu ij! troop-? i)i liic I I'lLt-u ,«•' ••• '• outbr.aU of Mar v,.i- l«. i... ;'.l" ; ilt 17U,U0U. (' f.t! i>'l L: :Vd* Lai-U.-ind troops were occupyin;; <m.-v h:>ri.ivi. in ! tillli'S of IH-Uf'l!. Uiul lllC C.t-ilill.:; Up of tiu*. Ueser\a>;> (in lae deciavaiimi i-i war, IaUMiO moiv had u» u: jo mil room for. Then eame the a. . artare of . ihe Expeditionary loru: aim tne ui the first hutt million of the new anin, and the problems which confronted iae Ordmimv, ami i a: rack partllli'lits Wrl'e ;u uliVi: lUl rii ;«tc, aiid eoh>aa»l. li'jnii sense, delenninalw::. ami sound urbanisation have supplr-d the key to ah the.-e ju\) >i; m-<. ami tae vast army is buinj; led, e.ota.*d, equipped, and housed wiui a sUi"j>rjsiii v , r of lea! hardship. E\ery available building in I'.u barracks lias bnni devoted to .sleeping a:\aimaiedat;om F':i existing aeeo:.niiß/da t ion of h;u rackrooms lias bum dumped by tin; .simpli! expedient of withdrawing ilie" iron bedsteads and hiving tne ma lire.-.sea on the IS our as close as (iarrison mmools have been closed and married <jmuder,n taken over, which in the ease cf <me centre alone vots bnrraeks a'eoamiodation for twenty iitoiuund more troops. lluim encampments have sprung up all over the Kingdom, and a* the weather get* bad the t roups these will be sheltered in ranges of hut barracks now in course of erection in 1 various lr.iiu:ii'.. r e< n ie% liv ti»e early, part c..f ti.e ar'jtr pari of j Lh":-e harrae.. .. ... t r..1 'i l a' pa! ion, and if e \\<-a- j liter proves u L» be j continued Im , .. is will \ he moved at unco into b'divts in the j lowns a lid ing centres.

PKOIiI.K.MiS OK SI'PPLY. So much for the accommodation problem. With regard lo I hi- piub.cms of supply the departments concerned arc tackling their tdl:ic'.:.t:c>, in a u-ry practical manner, l-'oi'd is the lir.-t comjiuerafion, and tin-r.- has not, been any shortaye so far as the training centres are concerned, there being a I'm! and varied supply forthcoming, in spite, oi the sudden influx of thousands oi recruits from day to day. Nome.of ihe diiiiculiics of supplying rations can be realised from the fact that the strength of one command has been increasing )>y ;5,f]00 a week, and now stands at well over the hundred thousand, in spite of the despatch of many thousands to the Continent. Jt is anticipated that there will be a garrison of )SU.oiJ() troops in Aldersiiot in a few days' time, and that this number will be maintained so long as the war lasts. The task of clothing and equipping these great numbers has bcni a very severe tax on the resounds of tec- Ordnance Department, but now tnat supplies of uuiiorms and l.oiii-. arc arriiirg from new sources in eve. li.ir.a ..n.; ij.iai.iilics Ihe dilli-ui-ties experi. need at lii'st are di:np;>ca.r-

TU.U\'l.\'(.; TUK TI'dJOPS. . With regard io tin' training of the .\ew Army l.ie work is progressing \v ; tli amazing rapidity and success in t:ie face ot man;' apparently iiisuriuouiitalilu diliicti tics, 'j in- shortage of offers anil experienced lion-coiuimssioiied ollicei's lias In cii a great, handicap to commanding ollicers cutru-led witia I lie tusk of training tin: new units, hut this has been gut over, ami the new battalions are taking creditable shape and already showing a very good standard of ellic'ieney. Kacil of the new scVviee battalions of the Xew Army is organised and training side by side with its extra battalions, so Uiat when the lime comes for the. despatch of another Ex[leditionary Force, the battalions will leave behind complete units of their own, which will go on training and organisinj fresh units. Thanks to the fact that in the, forces now raised ami tinder tra'm.ing there is a very good percentage ot exsoldiers, ex-volunteers, and cx-torri-toriaU, the second Expeditionary Force for tiiK Continent will be ready for active, service, long before the scheduled period Musketry practice is what they mostly require, and that is being given now day by day. In the meantime there are still available a good reserve of licg'.ilars tit home upon which to draw to maintain at full strength the forces at the front, while all over the country 1 are thousands upon thousands of Territorial:! who have reached a very high standardof ellieiency breaking their hearts to lie sent into the lighting line. That the authorities intend to maintain the splendid Dritish cavalry at full strength at tin: front is shown by the instructions given to raise the strength of each of the reserve regiments of cavalry at home, to one thousand Hibrcs, and there are lifteen of these regiments at the prosent time, while each of the Yeomanry regiments have been directed to raise a duplicate regiment to take their places. in case of their being ordered away on foreign or active service. I