A FOREIGN VIEW

Evening Star, Issue 14515, 5 November 1910, Page 10

A FOREIGN VIEW

OF ENGLAND'S NEW ARMY. Colonel Giidfco, the well-known rnilitarv critic, writing in the ' Lerliner Tageblatt,' gives his impressions of the Territorial manoeuvres, of which the following is a summary:— Colonel Gadke is evidently much sfcrnck by the quality of the men recruited, particularly in branches such as the Engineers, where men of special attainments are serving. The unevenness of the troops was their most conspicuous feature, some battalions being "quite valueless," while others showed that a good deal of useful garrison work had been put in. With tho organisation of the manoeuvres ho has much fault to find: the staff work of the Regular officers was bad; marching orders were so arranged that it continually happened that columns crossed on tho march, and on one occasion the transport of the invading army passed quite undisturbed through tho ranks of the defenders. He comments with astonishment 011 tho action of certain landowners in refusing to allow the troops to go over their land ; this gave an "unnatural" appearance to the operations (this is a favorite expression of Colonel Giidke), and frequently rendered it impossible to throw out patrols on the flanks of marching troops.

Tho infantry wero the most uneven of. all. The drill was gone rally good, and tho discipline on the parade ground creditable, but the marching was poor: " tho men gave up by scores as soon as tho sun shone at all wanner than usual." These failings, ho thinks, will not bo remedied until there is a serviceable corps ot' non-commissioned officers ; and this tho training of tho Territorials is not sufficient to create. In tho attack, on tho other hand, cover was well taken, " more so than as a rule is observable, in tho Regular English Army." JJut altogether "it may bo said with certainty that the Territorial infantry is not yet ripe to meet a Continental opponent." As regards cavalry. Colonel G'iidke is entirely opposed to tho mounted infantry policy, which, lie thinks, ''turns a dashing cavalry into a horsed infantry of questionable worth." This, he considers, has been the effect on the Yeomanry; only a few smart attacks showed something of the old spirit. while '' as patrols the Yeomanry Jailed completely, probably because, as was obvious, very little importance was attached by tho officers to patrol work." Of the three principal arms of the service, Colonel Gadke thinks the Artillery wore tho best; in their present state they present a striking and creditable contrast to last year. The positions, were generally well chosen, and the shooting left little to bo desired. The only fault was the slowness of the Field Artilliu-y, which Colonel Gadke does not attribute to the driving, but to the poor quality of the horses. Of tho special troops, ho says it is astounding, what is accomplished by the Engineers, cyclists, and motor cyclists. " L wished we could supply our Engineer battalions frotn the sources from which tho English Territorials draw their supply." In general, be considers the Engineers good enough for any invading army. The London Cyclists, however, wero what most excited his enthusiasm. In tho matter of patrol Work, ho considers they did more good work than all tho cavalry and infantry put together. Ho describes with admiration tho way in which their commanding ofiicor quilted the road and took his men straight across the Sussex Downs in order to locate the enemy's position. Colonel Giidke sums up his impressions as follows:—Any laud might be proud to have produced such an army of volunteers in so short a time and under such unfavorable conditions. Tho Territorial Army is very far from being useless, and that is a fact which underlies all criticism of detail. It is an army in tho making, and if it receives support in the process it will shortly become a very considerable army. Naturally there was much to criticise, but I am convinced that I might have seen in the maiucuvres of Continental armies not a few of the deiocts which I have Uptod, and i can well say that I was agreeably surprised to find no grosser failings in the youug Territorial Army.