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Thames Star, Volume XI, Issue 3477, 16 February 1880, Page 2

The state of ihe British Army is the subject of considerable comment from the press of the mother county. The War Office has issued a statement setting forth the establishment of the British avmy for the year 1880. This statement gives the strengtK"bT"the household cavalry for the period mentioned at 1302; Cavalry of the line 15,991; Koyal Artillery, 46,126; Foot Guards, 5,950; Infantry of the Line, 120,006 ; Artillery Militia, 17,622 ; Infantry Militia, 118,625 ; Yeomanry, 14,610. These branches of the service, with either arms, give a total of 336,775, adding to which 244,263 volunteers, there is a grand total of 581,018 men. The Times says that though exception may be taken to the assertion that the army is in a state of collapse the following facts prove that such a term is no exaggeration. On the Ist December, 1879, the total number of efficient soldiers of line regiments in Great Britain amounted to 21,950, a very small army compared with the other continental nations. Ten thousand men are required to bring the regiments serving at home up to their full strength. The five battalions which embarked for South Africa last year were subjected to medical examination previous to embarkation, the result of which was that upwards .of 1000 were rejected as unfit for foreign service. If this is a sample of the rest of the army, may Government defend us from a war until we are in a better state of preparedness. Computing other regiments to average the same number of incapables we find that we. have only about 11,000 reliable soldiers in the line regiments serving in Great Britain. It is not in numbers only that we are deficient,, but in tho main point of discipline. The old motto, " Obedience is the first duty of a soldier," appears to have fallen into desuetude. Insubordination, drunkenness and desertion are frequent crimes. It was said that Lord Card well's reforms would practically re model the army, and it has ' done so_ with a vengeance. Au Exchange writes as follows ;-* It is well-known that noncommissioned officers are the backbone of (he army. The one great cry throughout the service is the want of non-commissioned officers. Owing to the short service system, smart young fellows are passed rapidly through the ranks and promoted in the hops that they will turn out well. Often, too often, they are untried men—men with little self-restraint. Instead of bearing with the hasty recruit, they needlessly harass the men, and petty- acts of insubordination are the result. Insubordination increases, courts-martial are of common occurrence/ and a general tone of unhappiness pervades a corps thus cursed. In one regiment that embarked for South Africa there were no fewer than 32 men in prison, in two others 15; another corps, now at home, which a few years ago stood almost unequalled for the absence of crime, has had, during the last 12 months,, 27 courts-martial, and five sergeants within a few weeks, have been reduced for druakenness on duty—in olden times an almost unheard of offence. The linked battalion system, too, has confessedly broken down. The object sought to bo obtained by this arrangement is that the battalion at home may seive as a feeder for the supply of casualties in tho twin battalion of the same district serving, abroad. This, we are informed by Lord Cardwell, would be comparatively simple as regards the double battalion regiments. Yet, at the present moment,-instead of 71 battalions being at borne to 70 abroad, we have but

55 in England to 16 oa forei^u sorvic«; and of the double battalion corps, the Ist lioyal ScoWSvd .Buffs, 4th ffiugV Own, 6th Boyals, 13th Light Infantry, 21st jtfoyal Scots Fusiliers, 14th, 17th, and 24th Regiments hare all,their battalions , abroad. Not only has the scheme failed to work well, but it is exceedingly unpopular, among officers and men. So unpopular is the scheme of compulsory transfer on reduction that the officers<of 40 regiments in the army have absolutely declined to accept even promotion out of i their corps? Officers of the 38th elect to abide by the Ist Staffordshire rather than be luvned over to the 80tb, the 2nd Staffordshire. Indeed,; so -strong is the feeling of this^paint tib^t pending the decision of tfc# ? Cojamittee on Army Organization, Tall transfers will be suspended in cas^the-bfficers who object ti the step, ffitjifa linked battalion system has broken down, so too, have the proved a failure. It is true that last year when they were mobilised, the men came up readily for. re-enrollment, about 3 per cent only being absentees, but in point of numbers they fell far short of what was anticipated. In March, 1871, the Secretary of State for War stated that m seven years the J Army Beser?e wo»'d amount to 18,811 men; on the Ist of Jane, 1879 #;■: numbered 16,949, a grave error iai calculation. Perhaps the unsatisfactory condition' of the army has to do with the recent action instituted in the dominion of Canada, where 10,000 men of the local militia and volunteers have been enrolled info the permanent or regular forcesof the Empire; this will give us 10,000 additioud men available at. any time for foreiga seince. Several home journals hare already pointed out that the Australasian colonies will have to be called upon to provide their due proportion of men towards maintaintaioine; the army of the Empire. However distasteful this may at first sight appear to many colonists, we believe that their loyalty will on calm consideration, lead them to admit that if they wish to continue under the British flag, they must do their duty as citizens to maint-im its dignity and supremacy. So far as New Zealand is concerned, her sons are ready at any time to enrol themselves iv their fair proportion ?n any forces that may be organised for the Crowa. Provided that the head quarters be local, half a dozen sturdy battalions might be raised in this colony, on the same conditions as applied to the new Canadian force, iv addition to which the Royal Navy might be materially augmented by " Young Australians" and "Young New Zealanders," if-special provision were made for their training and genere.l seriice in Australasian waters. From authentic sources we can slate that the little aimy of 800 men, now quartered on the Waimate Plains, are equal in physique to the choicest battalion of on1 * imperial Footguards. Every me a is mucu above the middle height, and has passed the strictast medicel examination previous to enlistment. We trust this fine force' will be augmented, and added as a New Zealand Battalion of " Guards" to the Imperial forces of the British Crown. v Let not our tax payers be appalled at such a proposition, the mother country must bear a proportion—the largest—of the maintenance of all troops liable for general service. The benefits of fii-e and life insurance are now generally x'ecof-nized ; if we wish for peace and commercial prosperity, we must be ready with our contributions to insure that freedom from war, which is the only guarantee of national independence.