Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 02.djvu/50

ARMIES. inducements both in pay and promotion to the rank and file.

The organization of the active or regular army is as follows: Infantry.—There are two establishments, home and foreign, the former being practically the nursery of the latter, in that it trains and prepares recruits, sending them abroad to the foreign sections of their corps or organization, as may be required. The foreign battalion ordinarily consists of 29 officers, 1 sergeant-major, 44 sergeants, 16 drummers, 921 rank and file; total, 1011. The home battalion is of varying strength, consisting of eight companies and a depot staff. They are armed with the Lee-Metford magazine rifle, the magazine containing 10 cartridges. Cavalry.—The regiment consists of 4 squadrons, each squadron being divided into 3 or 4 troops. At home the strength is normally 26 officers, 696 rank and file, and 465 horses; abroad, 29 officers, 624 rank and file, 592 horses. Artillery.—The royal regiment of artillery consists of horse and field batteries, and garrison and mountain artillery, constituting two distinct branches. Officers and men are no longer enlisted or commissioned to the corps indiscriminately, but are sent permanently to one or the other. Batteries consist of 6 guns, with 5 officers and 170 men. Engineers.—The strength of a field company is usually 1 major, 1 captain, 4 subalterns, and 210 rank and file. The distinctive feature of British army organization is the Army Corps, first used in the campaign of Waterloo, which is constituted as follows: Three infantry divisions, each of 2 brigades, and including 3 cavalry squadrons, 9 field batteries, and 3 engineer companies. The proportion of artillery to infantry is about 3 guns to 1000 bayonets, which may be increased to 5 guns per thousand with small detached forces. The infantry brigade is of varying strength and composition, and is usually commanded by a major-general; the infantry division by a lieutenant-general, and an army corps by a general. The field army consists of 3 army corps, and, if possible, 4 cavalry brigades. The whole, consisting in round numbers of approximately 115,000 men. Transport and the management of rations for men and horses are assigned to the Army Service Corps, which consists of 38 companies, and 2 remount companies, which, with their reserve, aggregate a little over 50,000 men. Other corps and departments are the Medical Corps, the Nursing Service, Army Ordnance Corps and Department, Army Chaplain Department; Army Pay Corps; and Army Veterinary Department.

The, which is well organized, comprises 40 cavalry regiments, 133 infantry battalions, 13 artillery batteries and companies, and 24 companies of sappers and miners. Cavalry regiments consist of 4 squadrons, with a total of 10 British officers and 625 native rank and file. Infantry regiments have 8 companies, with 9 British officers and about 900 rank and file. Artillery batteries have six guns, with 4 British officers and 256 rank and file. The scheme laid down after the Indian Mutiny of 1857 was a proportion of not exceeding two natives to one European in cavalry and infantry, while practically all the regular artillery was European. Up to 1902, these proportions were fairly maintained. There are serving in India, including British troops, volunteers, native army reserves,

and Imperial service troops, a total of nearly 300,000 men. This is exclusive of the large armies of many of the semi-independent native States, which are often well drilled and equipped, and generally under the command and instruction of British officers.

Military service begins at the age of 20 in time of peace and at 18 in time of war, and continues until the age of 45, those excused for physical or other infirmities paying a special tax for ten years. About 40,000 are liable for service annually, of whom 18,000, decided by lot, are called under arms. The remainder serve in the reserve army for three months annually during the first two years, and then are placed for nine years in the active army reserve. The military academy is at Sofia. The infantry is armed with the Mannlicher repeating rifle.

Since 1900, military service has been compulsory, citizens from 20 to 45 years of age being liable; in the first year for nine months with the colors; the following nine years in the first reserve, and until 45 years of age in the second reserve. The active army in 1901 consisted of 17,385 men, of whom 11,500 were recruits and 5885 instructors, etc. The army organization comprises 10 generals, 18 colonels, 44 lieutenants, and 806 inferior officers.

An accurate estimate or characterization of the Chinese military forces is impossible. The Black Flags, a remnant of General Gordon's Taiping army, who have been trained by European officers, may possibly at times have numbered 50,000 men. The Eight Banners, a force said to consist of about 300,000, is formed of the descendants of the Manchu conquerors and kindred tribes, of whom from 80,000 to 100,000 are supposed to be kept on a war footing. With the Ying Ping or national army, mercenary troops, Mongolian, and other irregular cavalry, the total strength of the army on a peace footing might be approximated at about 300,000 men, and at about 1,000,000 on a war footing. There is absolutely no organization, the army being without unity, cohesion, discipline, or knowledge of the art of war. They have few weapons of any value; many of the supposedly best troops being armed with weapons long since obsolete. Since the transformation in Japanese military affairs, China has been slowly realizing her antiquated and defenseless condition, and is now sending detachments of officers to study modern methods in the Japanese military academies. These measures, together with the experience gained in the international complications culminating in the advance on Peking in 1900, will undoubtedly result in modernizing the Chinese methods and organization. Acknowledged experts in military affairs all agree on the latent possibilities of the Chinese soldier: his splendid endurance, sturdy physique, and utter disregard of suffering or death.

Compulsory military service with a fixed peace footing of 1000 of all ranks.

Peace footing, regular army 600; militia 12,000. War footing, 34,000, every male between 18 and 50 years of age being compelled to serve.

Service is obligatory. Able-bodied men from the age of twenty-two serve eight years with the colors and eight in the reserves. The annual contingent numbers about 7900. The