The Indian Army.

Thames Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2934, 11 July 1878, Page 2

The Indian Army.

Our (Times) Calcutta correspondent sends us news about ths temper with which the prospect of foreign service is looked forward to by the native army in India. By the officers and the men the utmost enthusiasm is displayed. The whole energies of the Indian Government are being employed just now in making ready for the departure of the troops for Malta. Military preparations are in active progress on every side. While India is thus resounding with the clang of arms, it is safsfactory to learn the willingness with which the cJI is net. The order for depar iure has been everywhere received, bur correspondent informs us, with cheerful loyalty. The men on furlough are returning promptly to their regimental duties. There is no difficulty found in bringing up the regiments to their full numbers by new enrolments. In every rank, among the natives scarcely less than among the English, and in every class of natives alike, the summons has been met with alacrity. If the demand were not for, 10,030 men only, but for ten times that number, or for any conceivable number which the resources of India could furnish, there is every sign thjat. it would ije ; <res-. ponded to with the same spirit The quality of the troops may be judged in some measure from the record of their past performances. The natives of India have always fought well under the guidance of English officers. They have been tried, not in India alone, but in several* foreign countries. The result everywhere has been the same. In Persia, in China, and in Abyssinia they have hot failed to do good service. How they would conduct themselves against European troops we have rot had the opportunity of seeing, but there is no reason whatever to question their full efficiency for this as well as for any ot'jer military duty. We hope, inde d, that they will not be put to the proof in this respect, but, if they are, we do not fear for the result. To those who affect to look down on the military power of England, the temper and discipline and possible numbers of our native Indian army will be a somewhat startling revelation. India is, in fact, a vast and in exhausiable recruiting ground, and Indian trQops led by English officers, and fighting side by side with Englishmen, are not likely to fall short of the requirements of any service to which they may be put. The question of the employment of native Indian soldiers for any war in Europe in which this country may be engaged is one on which very different opinions have been expressed. Whether such employment is legitimate and whether it is wise h-ve been almost equally doubled. Now, as to its legit: n?acy at the present moment there is hardly, we venture to think, any fr.ir room for doubt at all. Russia is the only enemy with which we may have to try conclusions,

and Russia is not by any means an exclusively European Power. The indignation with which Germans iv 1870 heard of the presence of the Turbos in the French armies was na'ural enough, and we cannot say that it was uncalled for. The notion that Germany was to be conquered and overrun, and, as the French asserted, civilised, by such barbarous auxiliaries was a little shocking even outside Germany. But the Russian Empire, which is partly European and partly Asiatic, and which draws its soldiers from all quarters without distinction, can have no reason to complain if it is met in the field by troops of mixed nationalities. If we are ever driven to engage in war with Russia, it will be for strictly Imperial purposes the entire resources of the Empire may very justly be turned to,account. The native Indian army is at least equal in dUcipline to the Russian army, and might be as well trusted to be kept in hand. We may add, too, that.the idea of pitting Indians against Russians did not come first from either India or England. The threat of a Russian invasion of India has been more than once uttered. India, indeed, has been counted upon as the point at which England was most likely to be found vulnerable. Why, it may fairly be asked, should Russia be allowed a monopoly in this respect? The prospect of an Indian invasion of Russia is at least a-; likely to be realized as the other is, and it is justified in advance by language which Russians have allowed themselves ,to indulge in very freely. ' . The./.policy, however, of employing Indian troops in a European war maybe called in question, though the right' may be admitted fully. India, it may be said, is a dependency of this country. It is scarcely wise to suffer it to learn its own strength, or to rely upon it for supplies of soldiers which we ourselves do not find it convenient to furnish. But the principle of using the native ludian ar~ny for

service outside India and for quarrels in which India is not directly involved has been repeatedly sanctioned. General. McLetid, in a letter recently published, gives several instances of it. We may remember too, that India does not by herself contain the material from which a first-class army cm; be made up_. She can , give us plenty of. stuff which can be turned into good soldiers, which can be brought under and which can be taught to lace dangers. But for the completion of the process the assistance of Englishmen is found necessary, and when the raw material has been at length shaped the guidance of Englishmen is still :nceded for turning it to the best account. The whole incidence of military service may thus teach India the lesson of dependence rather than of independence. The groat mutiny itself shows us, joot that native Indian soldiers arje necessarily untrustworthy, but that, as is the case with all Soldiers, their discipline is not safely to be relaxed, and, further, and especially, that they can do but little under the leadership of their own countrymen. The English and the Indian characters are thus seen to be good complements to one another. The Englishman can command and lead. The native is seen at his best when he is willing to obey and to follow. The moral of such a lesson is not confined to war and tAe concerns of war. It is no less true in mattefs rof peace and of industry; We trust still that the actual employment of our native Indian army in European war i may be a distant event. We are content to ?know Chit it will be ready if its services; are called: for, and that there i« good reason" to be shown why we need not hesitate 'o "ami ourselves of it. Rom what revenues the charges of an Indian army serving abroad are to be met it a question which it will be for Parliament to answer. JSTo military operations outside India can bo charged upon the Indian Exchequer, except those which are engaged in for preventing or repelling actual invasion,, or under some other sudden and, urgent necessity. How far any of; these contingencies can be held %i. have arisen is a point pretty certain to be raised when Parliament meets. Actual invasion there has been none, and no near likelihood of any. But the. rest of the terms used are so far vjgue as-to lend themselves to almb't any interpretation. A state of affairs that has been held to , justify the calling out of our reserve forces ought to be oue of - very urgent necessity indeed. We hope, however, thatjin whatever degree the question may be held to be doubtful it may be settled in favour of; India. When we are judges in our ownvcause v we-ought to be very careful-not-to err by doing less than full justice to the other side. -/