the introduction of metallic ammunition comparatively non-perishable and indestructible, Mr. Mills, an American inventor, conceiving the idea that the almost cylindrical form of the stem of the cartridge with the projecting flange on its head had rendered it possible to make a belt with closely-fitting cylindrical loops, the cartridge to be held in its place by friction and prevented from dropping through by the flange, equipped his company first with belts made of leather; but after several years of trial these did not prove entirely satisfactory, by reason of the acid in the leather in action with the copper in the shell producing a verdigris, and causing the shells to stick fast in the belts. Canvas and webbing were then substituted, which proved more satisfactory, although it was very difficult to make the loops of uniform size or avoid their ripping off in use. The American Army of the frontier gradually provided themselves with belts of this character of their own make, and their use became almost universal by others using firearms.

But even this improvement failed to give satisfaction for the reason that it was impossible to make the loops by sewing, of a uniform size, or perfectly cylindrical, or so well as to prevent ripping in service, causing loss of cartridges from the larger loops, the admission of dust, dirt, sleet and frost in the cavities caused by the loops not conforming exactly to the cylindrical form of the shell.

The inventor then set about devising a method for weaving the main band and loops of the belt together.

This he at length accomplished, and in its main features it is not unlike what has been for a long time known as the "Prairie Belt," its distinguishing characteristic being that it is not only made entirely of heavy cotton fabric, but that the whole belt-the main fabric or body of the belt, as well as the loops or thimbles which hold the cartridges-are woven in one solid piece, at one and the same time, in the same loom, there being no sewing whatever in the entire belt.

The cylindrical loops are taken from and returned to the main web at the same point, so the cartridge is held. in place by friction produced by contact with its whole circumference; the loops are also, as a rule, made long enough to cover the entire brass stem of the shell and about one-sixteenth of an inch of their protruding leaden

one, bound together with a small portion of the warp, called by weavers "binders," the fabric being similar to what is known as "back-banding," producing, when the binders are not used, a hollow or tubular fabric like that used for making hydraulic hose; for one-fourth of an inch on each selvage these binders are left out, and the cavity filled with extra threads, producing a corded selvage, the upper one serving to rest over the flange of the head of the cartridge, and prevent falling out.

Among the superior practical qualities of the Woven Cartridge Belt over all other known methods for carrying ammunition, the inventor claims the easy access, the ready inspection, the instant detection of loss or exhaustion, the expressive martial purpose at sight (important

For military service, two sizes are made, one with forty-five loops, occupying twenty-eight inches on the belt, the other with fifty loops, occupying thirty-one inches, with billets six inches long at each end.

The illustration of the soldier (Fig. 1) represents the inventor's idea of the best method of wearing the belt. Ordinarily but one belt should be worn, and that around the body, as in the figure.

In cases of extraordinary emergency, the soldier may carry two belts, one around the body and one over the shoulder; but these extra belts will be habitually folded and packed, filled with cartridges, in strong canvas bags or boxes, and transported in wagons or on pack mules, and only issued to the men on the eve of battle or

in the suppression of riots), the great ease with which they are carried, fitting closely to the shoulder, and being so widely and equally distributed as to lead the soldier almost to feel that they are a part of his person; the economy in weight and expense, the cost and weight being little or no more than the belt to which the box, pouches, etc., of other methods are attached. It is soft, pliable, and homogeneous in texture with the soldier's clothing and other accoutrements, and to anyone whose judgment is not biassed with that fixedness of ideas which comes from association with long continuous custom, it is more attractive, neater, and gives the wearer a more soldierly appearance than the box or pouch.

other emergency, which, having passed, they may be returned for transportation to the wagons or mules.

Fig. 2 represents the belt as manufactured for the Lee magazine rifles, with which the Remingtons equipped the army of Honduras and which now are used in the U. S. Navy. It has thirty loops for single cartridges, and four for the magazine, and of course can be made to vary in the number of either.

The National Guards of the different States are fast adopting this belt, and they are being furnished by the U. S. Ordnance Department on requisitions from their annual quotas so far as they go.

Fig. 3 represents the Cavalry Belt, with pistol and sabre slings attached.

Fig. 4 represents the Double Belt adopted by the United States Navy.

It was devised by Commander William M. Folger, U. S. Navy, under the direction of Commodore Montgomery Sicard, U. S. Navy, Chief of Board of Ordnance. Major-General McCook, U.S.A. Aide-de-Camp to

and never feel it. Soldiers, when they are labouring, opening a road, cutting trees, and breaking boulders in the road, will not take them off, or even when using sledge-hammers, because they do not feel the weight. As a personal illustration of that, I will state that I was opening a road once from Fort McKavett to Fort Clark,

General Sherman bears the following testimony to the value of Mr. Mills's invention:

"It is a very important thing that cartridges should be protected from dust, particularly the metallic cartridges, because if the dust gets in there they catch, and the ejector of the breech-block will not throw them out. But all the reports from the frontier are that the soldiers discard the Palmer yoke, and also all cartridge-boxes, and use the hunter's belt, and when they cannot get them from the Ordnance Department, they make them out of canvas or anything they can get hold of, and carry their cartridges in that way. It is astonishing with what ease a man can carry forty rounds of ammunition in a hunter's belt. He can wear the belt all day

FIG. 4.

Texas, and when we struck the North Fork of the Nueces River, we found boulders four or five feet high at a place where we were obliged to cross. I took a detachment forward with sledge-hammers to break those boulders down, and I asked the men when they went to work why they did not take their hunter's belts off, but they asked permission to wear them, because they were of no inconvenience to them, and they would rather wear them than do without them."

THE DECADENCE OF THE MILITIA.

THE Constitutional force of Old England is admittedly in a very unsatisfactory state; neglected, uncared-for, and left to take its chance on the unhappy-go-unlucky principle of "go-as-you-please." The leading military authorities of the day, from H.R.H. the Duke of Cambridge downwards, recognize the importance of the Militia, and fain would make its status better defined in relation to the army. Of late years the Militia battalions have been printed in parallel columns with their territorial regiments in the official monthly Army List; officers have been allowed to wear gold in place of silver lace at their own expense; but beyond these trivialities no serious steps have been taken to make the Militia part and parcel of the British army. addition to our regular troops we have, in this country, a swarm of auxiliaries, Militia, Yeomanry and Volunteers, who are out of "touch" with themselves, each other, and the army, and are simply a fortuitous combination of military atoms waiting to be welded together into one homogeneous whole.

In

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The writer, or writers, in the Broad Arrow point out, in relation to the Militia reserve, that a large sum might be saved by a reduction in the amount and frequency of bounties, which now are merely so many premiums on drunkenness. It does not seem to be realised that without the Militia the country would be forced to adopt Conscription to man the army. present it is not really recognized how cheap the Militia force is. The establishment of the Militia in time of peace is 120,000 men, of which it may be assumed that 20,000 are deficient. The Militia reserve, however, is one fourth of the whole establishment, not of the actual strength. Thus 30,000 militiamen can be called to the army on short notice if required. This leaves 70,000 men only available for defence service in garrisoning the kingdom, and for sending a contingent to the Mediterranean, and to other parts of our Colonies and Dependencies.

In the event of a serious war, no doubt, we should wish to be able to release our entire regular army from home duties, and leave it to the constitutional force of the country to defend our homes from invasion, to garrison our important ports, and maintain the English power in Ireland. To effect the last-named object no less than 18,000 men would be required, a drain which could be met by moving the Irish militia regiments to England and Scotland. It is, then, the bounden duty of the Government to do all it can to increase the efficiency of the Militia, even though the estimates may be exceeded of the £570,000 at present voted.

The writer in the Broad Arrow feels strongly on the subject of bounties, and believes that a considerable reduction might be made in the re-engagement bounties without causing any loss in men. Re-engagements,

VOL. VIII,

according to his view, should be for six years in place of four, and while the annual bounty of a re-engaged man should remain £1 10s. as at present, yet the bounties on re-engagement should be reduced to £1 per head. By causing all engagements to be for six years duration, a very large sum would be saved. It is difficult, of course, to fix upon any amount, as it is impossible to say how many men re-engage in a lifetime; but were every man in the militia to enlist at seventeen years of age, and to re-engage as often as he could, he would, under the present system, receive £9 in re-engagement bounties; whereas were re-engagements for six years at the proposed rate, he would get but £4. £5 per man would be saved in twenty years, or £500,000-showing an annual saving of £25,000. Our contemporary's figures are beyond cavil; but we much doubt, were the bounty reduced, that we should attract the men we require.

As to the efficiency of the Militia, most military men will coincide with the views taken by the Broad Arrow.

It is, of course, agreed that a soldier is trained only with the ulterior view of enabling him to bring his rifle to bear with the best effect; therefore musketry is the most important item of his education [at least it should be!]; for should he not be able to shoot, he is an incumbrance and useless. So the writer in the Broad Arrow proposes (very sensibly in our opinion) that every third year a Militia regiment should be called up for three weeks only, these three weeks being given up entirely to musketry, during which time the militiaman could be thoroughly trained in the use of his rifle, and in all the different practices laid down in the musketry regulations, to the complete exclusion of parades, show marches and battalion drills; the inspection at the end of this training to be in musketry only.

The other trainings he would increase to six weeks, and the saving (?) effected in the musketry year would help to pay for the extra expense of the other years. Here, we opine, the Broad Arrow writer is at fault. During the "three weeks of musketry" much ammunition would be expended. At present, the cost of cartridges for a Militia annual course is small. Some regiments do not fire a shot, and many practice only in the 3rd class. All the same, we welcome this addition to the military literature of the day, and say confidently that all who have at heart the welfare of the Militia should read and study the excellent brochure issued by

the Broad Arrow.

THE GERMAN LANDWEHR.

THE effect of General Boulanger's abortive Army Bill has been more far-reaching than might at first sight be supposed. It undoubtedly provoked the introduction of the German Septennate last year; and to

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that measure the changes now under discussion are the natural if not inevitable supplement. The respective fate of the French and German schemes of reorganization is curiously illustrative of the difference between the military system of the two countries. of the two countries. While General Boulanger's scheme is still in the air, that of Prince Bismarck and his colleagues is now in full operation; and judging from the tone of the German press, the new measures appear to be almost certain of acceptance.

The new Bill provides that all German citizens, fit for service, shall be liable to be called upon until the completion of their forty-fifth year. In the ordinary course, the recruit will serve three years with the Colours (from 20 to 23 years of age), 4 years in the Reserve, 5 years in the first levy of the Landwehr, 7 years in the second levy of the Landwehr, and 6 years in the second levy of the Landsturm. Those who, for family or other reasons, are excused from active service in time of peace, will still be liable in the event of war until their 45th year. From 20 to 32 years of age they will belong to the "recruiting reserve," from 32 to 39 to the second levy of the Landwehr, and from 39 to 45 to the Landsturm. All these men receive a certain amount of military training during their term of service in the "recruiting reserve." Others again are drafted ab initio into the Landsturm, serving in the first levy from 20 to 39, and in the second from 39 to 45 years of age.

The fundamental change involved by the passage of the new Bill will consist in the extension of the term of service for the Landwehr to the thirty-ninth year. At present all men belonging to this category pass into the Landsturm on attaining the age of 32. Men who would now be drafted into the Landsturm will be liable under the provisions of the new measure for seven years' further service in the Landwehr. A large pro

portion of the Landsturm or third line of the German army will, therefore, be transferred into the Landwehr or second line-from a more or less inchoate and unwieldy to an extremely well-organized and available force. It is estimated that by this means the Landwehr will be increased by about 700,000 men, of whom a considerable percentage have served the normal term with the colours, while all have received some military training.

The transference of 700,000 men from the Landsturm to the Landwehr implies an increase of the field army at the expense of the purely defensive forces, and indicates that Germany is resolved to assume an energetic offensive in the event of war. While the available field army of Russia comprises only 15 annual contingents of recruits, and that of France only 14, Germany will be able to mobilize 19.

It is estimated that in the course of a few years, making every allowance for loss by death, desertion and otherwise, the German army will comprise not less than 4,700,000 trained men, of whom 3,250,000 will have served two years with the colours. At the present time, the paper strength of the French army is equal if not superior to that of Germany; but the disproportion between even the nominal effectives of the two countries must increase rapidly year by year in favour of Germany. The number of men who annually become liable for service in France is now about 300,000, and has a constant tendency to diminish. In Germany it amounts to over 400,000, and, if the present rate of increase is maintained, will soon reach half a million. The only chance for France lies in thoroughly organizing, and, above all, disciplining the men she has. Her efforts to keep pace with the numerical increase of the German army are, from the nature of the case, hopeless. EDITOR.