THE BRITISH ARMY.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXII, Issue 13575, 22 October 1904, Page 9

THE BRITISH ARMY.

SHE INFANTRY'S PERIOD OF SERVICE. United Preas Association—By Electric , Telegraph—Copyright. - LONDON, October 21. Enlistment for the British infantry line mill henceforth be nine years whir the colours and three in the reserve. The newspapers, in explaining the change, refer to Mr Arnold Forster's speech in the House of Commons on July 14. (In the House of Commons on July 14. Mr Arnold-Forster, Secretary for IV ar, explained the new army scheme. It proposes to divide tie regulars into tv» o Jinnies. .The first will police the Empire, conduct tie small wars and oear the first brunt Of the larger ones. It will disposed entirely according to strategical requirements, without regard to any rigid system of linking. It will be chiciiy abroad, only a proportion being kept at home for convenience of circulation, and to provide a- force of 15,000 at. Aldershot. The period! of service will be nine years with the colours, and three with the reserves. The second army will he for home service, and will only go abroad in case of important wars. It will' be strictly territorialised, and! its period of service will be two years with, tho colours and six with the reserves. Mr Arnold-Forster proposes to set aside ninety or one hundred of the present battalions for general service in the army. After abolishing fourteen of the recently-raised battalions and five battalions of the garrison regiments he will convert the remaining forty battalions into home service battalions on an establishment of only 600 men per battalion. While profoundly dissatisfied with the militia, he does not propose to abolish it. Ha described the Volunteers as the best material for an army, and he proposed' to reduce Volunteers to 180,000 efficients. Of these 60,000 would be highly trained', receiving a higher grant, and 120,000 of lower efficiency requiring less sacrifice of time and a smaller grant. He will give rifle clubs £50,000 annually for ammunition. The scheme would* save £2,394.000 a year.)