THE ARMY IN INDIA.

Inangahua Times, Volume V, Issue 39, 13 May 1878, Page 2

THE ARMY IN INDIA.

• Tho possibility of a war botwoon England,nmUlussia naturally dirootH public n'« lontion io Ilio army in Ijndin, nnd Mio vory important riuostion erisofi aa to whofhor, in tb,o oyont 'of ft war, India would bo in a position fo nupply R military oontingcnt, riio raost provnlcnfc opinion Dooms to bo I that it would bo highly dangerous nnd impolitic io withdraw from India, cvon ' temporarily, nny part ot tl|o English 1 troops ; but this nvp,umont doon not npply 1 to inativo troopfli fiooinjj that ono of tho " pi-Jnc'pal ukc3 of .English fbrcc.i ia India 1 is 'to out aa a military ohcck upon ibo native nrmy. Tho ncr)di')j? of ft part of ' tho latter from India would acrvo, there foro, os ft fiflfoguard rothor than m a Bcurco of c?aufiov to'BritiflU power. Tlio i nntivo troops avo well oqaippod woll« ' drilled, and liandlo tho riflo with considornblo flltill. Thorc t» nt presonr, howcror. » a most fatal dofoot in tho organisation of ' uativo rcyimcnls, whioU would huvo to bo

rotinvlifld hofoi o llioy c.mM ba employed ogi\inst Kuvoponn J.rrin]»H— • iiiunoly, tho Horious delieionr/ of English regimental ofHocra. Tho full compliment of English officers in all ordinary regiments is sovcn, mid of those, on nn average, not moro that four would bo nrnilablo at tho com* monoomont of any Guddon campaign. A rogimont wiißht, accordingly find H so^f after d short po'iocl of octivo Roryioo without a B^Rlp Engijish o^oor. Jt is n fnilUqry panon that no rogStncnt ought to go into aotion with loss than two oflloorfl ppr company, and, ty wi|l bo understood that X^ativp rbgimonts would rrquiro a larger rnt|»or tlinn n flmallor Will )R Jlflf' 1 k.V' r /n- '■''•/} "',■''% proportion of Enfthah ol^cors ,if rcouirea toughi Ktjrojiefln trbopa. Should this' dofloionoy, however, ho o.uppliod, ifl no reason why Natiyo soldiers siiould'not proyo a vory yalu^ablo auxiliary at^ '^ngljisiiarmy ongagod in a, teuro-. poan war. Indii, as a recruiting ground for such iforcos, io almost inexhaustible, and (ox \\\o purposo of a campaign against Russia tjho limit to JMC'uuaulman levies would bo sololy 'dopondont upon financial conqidoratjonfu-- Europoa|i Mail.