At the present moment a sufficient number of rifles of the improved Lee-Metford pattern have been received in India to enable the entire British infantry in that country to be re-armed, and the volunteers will shortly also be in possession of this valuable weapon. This will enable all native troops to be armed with the Martini-Henry. The small arm ammunition factories have already been fitted up with all necessary appliances for the manufacture of the new ammunition. 7. Supply of Officers.1 Before the reorganization of the native army, which took place after the Indian Mutiny, there existed two kinds of regiments, the "regular" and "irregular." The "irregular” were commanded by three selected officers; the "regular were supposed to be officered in a manner similar to that obtaining in British regiments, that is, with European company officers, but, in point of fact, owing to the withdrawal of a large number of officers for civil employ, the establishment in officers of any one regiment was most defective, and the whole system unworkable. After the Mutiny, the irregular system, with some increase in the numbers of British officers, was adopted throughout the army in Bengal; and, later, in Madras and Bombay also. On this change being made all the officers who were willing to leave their old cadres were placed on the list of a staff corps, established on the recommendation of Lord Hotham's Committee. The scheme of this corps is that it provides a seniority list of all officers, with a view to their promotion after a defined number of years' service in each rank. There is now a fixed number of officers for cavalry and infantry regiments, and in the event of an officer being withdrawn for civil employ, or even seconded in his regiment for staff employ, the vacancy is at once filled. In this way the defect attending the old "regular" system has been 1 See chap. xviii. eradicated. By the latest organization the establishment of European officers of regiments of native cavalry and infantry is as under: Cavalry 1 commandant (usually lieutenant-colonel). 4 squadron commanders (usually majors and captains). Total 104 squadron officers (usually lieutenants, one of whom is adjutant). Infantry 1 medical officer. [1 commandant. 2 wing commanders. Total 95 wing officers (one of whom is adjutant and one quarter master). [1 medical officer. The great principle, which it has been endeavoured to preserve and apply to the whole native army, is that none but selected and approved British officers should be appointed to serve with it, and these in such numbers only as should insure that each British officer with a native regiment should occupy a position of importance and some dignity. Through this system the position and influence of the British officer is maintained while scope is left for the aspirations of the native officer. In the language of Sir W. Mansfield (Lord Sandhurst) each appointment to a native regiment was to be considered in the light of a staff appointment, i.e., one made by special selection. It is difficult on a campaign, when losses among officers are heavy, to keep up the supply of officers; nevertheless, the importance of maintaining the prestige of the position of the officer during the long years of peace is great, and the principle above stated should always be kept in view. The Staff Corps is composed of:-1st, officers employed exclusively in soldiering with their regiments; 2nd, officers in civil employ (to be dealt with later). For employment on the actual staff of the army in India, officers of the British service are equally eligible with officers of the staff corps. When the staff corps system was originally introduced in 1861, it provided a separate list for each presidency, and officers were classed as belonging to either the Bengal, Madras, or Bombay staff corps. After thirty years this has been abolished, and by a royal warrant issued in January, 1891, the three staff corps were amalgamated under the general designation of Indian Staff Corps. All officers are now eligible for staff employ or commands in any of the three presidencies, provided the government of the presidency concurs in the transfer. An officer, however, would usually remain throughout his service with the army of the presidency to which he was originally posted. Up to this time also, the method of original appointment to the staff corps had been through the British service, i.e., an officer of either British infantry, cavalry, or artillery was eligible for the staff corps up to certain limits of age, and on his application was appointed as a probationer to a cavalry or infantry regiment of the native army. After passing an examination in languages, as also the staff corps professional examination, he was permanently admitted to the staff corps and his name removed from the British list. Originally, only officers serving with British corps in India were eligible for the staff corps, but eventually the privilege was extended to a limited number of officers who might be serving out of India. The existing rules for admission are shown in Chap. XVIII. As has been stated, the staff corps consists of two elements the military and the civil. Each of these classes can be considerably subdividedthe first comprising all strictly military appointments, such as regimental officers, officers employed in the military departments of the government of India-viz., accounts, commissariat, transport and army remount; officers employed on the personal staff, or on the staff of the army, including the district or station staff, military education, army clothing, &c.; and the second, or civil class, comprising what are termed military civilians, such as commissioners, deputy and assistant commissioners, &c., who fulfil duties corresponding to those performed by officers of the Indian or uncovenanted civil service, as judges and magistrates (usually in the Punjab, Burma, and Assam only), and the political and diplomatic appointments, such as resident or assistant resident at a native court, and in the police department. All these are practically civilians, who never revert to military duty, though retaining their military rank, which is accorded to them in the same way as to all other officers of the staff corps, ie., by promotion to captain after 11 years' service, major after 20, and lieutenant-colonel after 26. They receive civil rates of pay, come home on furlough under civil rules, and only on retirement become once more cn a par with their confrères of the staff corps by receiving the same pension. 8. The Indian Military Establishment as a Force for War1 outside India as well as for India itself. Not only British regiments from India, but also native troops have frequently been used for military operations in neighbouring countries: they have then come under the orders of the home government. Thus, in 1801 an army from India co-operated in the expedition to Egypt, and in 1810 and 1811 in the expeditions to Mauritius, and to Java. In 1842 India furnished the China expeditionary force, consisting of 4 regiments of European and 6 regiments of native infantry, with artillery, engineers, and all the staff of the army. In 1856-7 the Persian expedition, and in 1860 the force sent to China, acting conjointly with the French army, were largely Indian; and there have been other instances, notably the Abyssinian expedition in 1867; Perak in 1872; the despatch of Indian regiments to Malta in 1878; and to Egypt in 1882, to the extent of a cavalry brigade of three native cavalry regiments, 1 field battery, 1 mountain battery, 2 companies of Madras sappers, 1 infantry brigade of 1 British and 3 native battalions, and 1 reserve brigade of 1 British and 2 native battalions. In 1885 there were sent to Suakin from India 1 native cavalry regiment, 2 companies of Madras sappers, and 3 battalions of native infantry; and, in the same year, to Egypt, a fully organized transport corps of 2,000 camels in 4 divisions of 500 each. On the occasion of the expedition to Egypt in 1882, the Indian Contingent, in presence of a large circle of observers of different nations, came prominently under notice, and the esteem in which the Indian army is held was augmented. 1 See chap. xviii. 477 CHAPTER XXVII. COLONIAL MILITARY FORCES.1 ANY description of the military forces of the empire would be incomplete without a notice, though it must be a brief one, of the colonial forces, more especially as the patriotic efforts made by the majority of the colonies in the direction of organizing their local forces and defences are perhaps not sufficiently understood either at home or in the other parts of the empire. During the last fifty years the colonies have made a steady advance in wealth, trade, population, and good government, and the greater of them-the self-governing countries which for want of a better accepted name we continue to call Colonies-are rapidly assuming the position of Great States of the Empire. Far, however, from showing any weakening of attachment to the parent country, their aspirations are still to remain an integral portion of the empire, recognizing its interests as common interests and accepting their share of its responsibilities and dangers. With loyalty they have acknowledged that imperial defence entails mutual obligations and that while on the one hand the colonies have a real and genuine self-interest in the shield that the imperial flag throws over them, on the other hand they should where possible bear their fair share of the distribution of the burden from which both they and the empire derive benefit. As the true principle of imperial defence-viz., that the sole condition of the existence of our extensive colonial empire is our superiority at sea, began to re-assert itself in late years, it was seen that the military resources of England would be severely taxed in supplying the garrisons of the strategic ports, and coaling stations vitally necessary for the requirements of our navy and the safety of our merchant vessels, 1 Map No. 2 serves to illustrate this chapter. See note p. 492. |