Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1921.djvu/188

 136 THE BRITISH EMPIRE :— INDIA AND DEPENDENCIES

Defence.

The militaiy forces in India consist normally of the British Regular forces, the Native Army, the Volunteers, and the Imperial Service troops. They are administered by the headquarters staff and the Army department, both under the supreme control of the Commander-in-Chief, who is a member of the Viceroy's Council. The headquarters staff comprises the division of the Chief of the General Staff, the Adjutant General's division, the Quarter- Master-General's division, the medical division, the ordnance division, and the military works division. The Army department deals with supply and finance. For purposes of inspection and training the forces are organised into a Northern army and a Southern army, each army containing a number of divisions and independent brigades, whose commanders deal with head- quarters direct on most questions of administration. At the end of 1920 this organisation was in process of change, the intention being to form four commands, in place of two. In September, 1920, the report of the Esher Committee on the organisation of the Indian Army was issued. Its chief recommendations are that the Chief of the Imperial General Staff should be the sole responsible military adviser of the Secretary of State for India, the Commander-in-Chief in India acting in the same capacity to the Govern- ment of India ; that a Military Council, analogous to the Army Council, should be formed to assist theCommander-in Chief, India ; that there should be facilities for interchange between officers of the Indian and British armies. There are also important recommendations aiming at improving the con- ditions of all ranks, British and Indian, serving in India. In December, 1920, General Sir Charles Monro was succeeded as Commander-in-Chief, India, by General Lord Rawlinson.

At the outbreak of war the strength of the Army in India, exclusive of the volunteers and the Imperial Service troops, but inclusive of reservists of the native army, was : British troops 76,953, native troops 239,561. The total number of native troops recruited during the war, up to the date of the armistice (November 11, 1918), was 1,161,789. In 1917 the Defence Force Act was passed by the Government of India, and by it compulsory service was applied to Europeans and British subjects between the ages of 16 and 50, and the Volunteers, who consisted of Europeans and Eurasians, were merged into the new Defence Force. In September, 1918, it was rendered liable to service overseas. It then numbered 50,000. The total number of British and Native troops sent from India overseas to France, East Africa, Mesopotamia, Egypt, Gallipoli, Salonica, Aden and the Persian Gulf up to the date of the armistice was 1,215,338. The approximate number of casualties amongst Indian ranks was 115,000.

In September, 1920, the Defence Force Act was repealed, and the Auxiliary Forces Act and Indian Territorial Force Act became law. Under these Acts voluntary registration was substituted for compulsory registra- tion. Preliminary training for infantry to be 32 days, and 40 days for the other arms. An Auxiliary Officers' Corps is formed of those who served in the Great War. The Indian Territorial Force is designed to form a Beoood line to the Regular Army in India ; it is not liable to service overseas, and is to have its own staff.

The Imperial Service troops are raised and maintained by Native States, and arc trained under the supervision of British officers. During the war great assistance in rabiug troops was afforded by the Indian Princes, m.niv of whom themselves served overseas. The Imperial Service troops were largely augmented, the Nepaul Durbar in particular supplied 200,000 recruits for the Indian Army, 20 battalions of infantry, and maintained a reserve of 20,000 men in training.