Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1921.djvu/104

 52 THE BRITISH EMPIRE : — UNITED KINGDOM

time of war, subject to the consent of Parliament. The rank and file for both Regular Army and Territorial Army are obtained by voluntary enlist- ment.

After the Armistice of November 11, 1918, was concluded with Germany the War Office issued a scheme of extended service for soldiers then serving, by which men were invited to re-engage for 2, 3, or 4 years. As soon as sufficient men had been obtained by this means to reconstitute a certain number of regular formations for service overseas, the normal pre-war terms of service were reintroduced. By these terms service is for 12 years, with permission to extend to 21 years in certain circumstances. Of the original 12 years, from 3 to 9 are spent ' with the colours,' i.e., on permanent service, and the remainder of the time in the Army Reserve ; the majority of the men serve for 7 years with the colours and 5 years in the Army Reserve, which is the rule for infantry other than the Foot Guards. Men enlist be- tween 18 and 25 years of age.

The Peace establishment of the various formations has not yet been fixed, but the normal rule is that formations serving at home are on a low estab- lishment, while the establishment abroad is higher, and in India peace and war establishments are practically identical. On mobilisation for war the ranks are brought up to war establishment, after eliminating recruits and young soldiers by calling up men from the Reserve.

For purposes of training and command the fighting troops are for the most part organised in divisions, which consist of 3 infantry brigades, divisional artillery and engineers, together with the necessary auxiliary services. The cavalry is organised in brigades. The infantry brigades are composed of 4 battalions, the cavalry brigades of 3 regiments. The organisation of the Territorial Army is analogous to that of the Regular Army, and it consists ot 14 divisions, composed of infantry, artillery, engineers, and auxiliary services, and of the mounted brigades, chiefly composed of yeomanry.

For purposes of command the United Kingdom is divided up into seven 'commands' and the London District. The commands are (1) Aldershot of very limited area, (2) Eastern, including the eastern and southern counties, (3) Irish, (4) Northern, including the northern midlands and north-eastern counties, (5) Scottish, (6) Southern, including the southern midlands and south-western counties, (7) "Western, including Wales, Lancashire and noith-weslern counties. These commands (except the Aldershot command) are divided uj> into Territorial Recruiting districts for the Regular Army. The Eastern, Northern, Scottish, Southern, ami Westeni commands and the London District each include from 1 to 4 Territorial mounted brigades, and 2 or 3 Territorial divisions. There are two Regular divisions each in the Aldershot and the Irish com- mand, one Regular division in the Eastern and one in the Southern com- mand. At the head of each command is a general officer (styled the General-Officer Commanding-in-Chief). He is assisted by a general-officer of lower rank who is responsible for questions of administration apart from training and defence questions.

The land forces are administered by an Army Council which is composed of the Secretary of State for War, who is its President ; the heads of the seven departments into which the War Office is primarily divided, namely, the Chief of the Imperial General Staff, who is responsible

for drawing np plans of attack and defence, for military training, for intelligence work, and lor education ; the Deputy Chief of the Imperial General Stall' who is the first assistant "I' the Chief and represents him in his absence on the Army Council ; tin Adjutant-General, who is responsible for recruiting, interior economy, discipline, and for the medical service ; the