DEFENCE

58

of the Secretary of State for War, and of the heads of the six departments into which the War Office is primarily divided ; these officials arc : — The Chief of the Imperial General Staff, who is responsible for drawing up plans of attack and defence, for military training, for intelligence work, and for the higher education of officers ; the Adjutant-General, who is resi>on8ible for recruiting, interior economy, discipline, and for the medical service ; the Quartermaster-General, who is responsible for equipment, supply, trans- port, and remounts ; the Master-General of the Ordnance, who is respon- sible for iirmament and works ; the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, who is responsible for the Territorial Army ; the Finance Rtember, who is responsible for finance. The Inspector-General of the Forces keeps the Army Council informed as to the state of efficiency of all branches of the forces. The Territorial Army is to a large extent administered by County Associations over which the War Office merely maintains a general control as regards expenditure.

The principal military educational establishments are the Royal Military Academy educating youths to be officers in the artillery and the engineers, the Royal Military College whence officers are obtained for cavalry and infantry, and the Staff College which trains officers for the staff. The Officers' Training Corps, in two divisions representing resi)ectively the universities and public schools, is intended to provide officers for the Special Reserve and the Territorial Army. The military wing of the Royal Flying Corps comprises 7 aeroplane squadrons and 1 airship squadron.

Cavalry and infantry are armed with the Lee Enfield rifie, calibre -303. The Regular Army has a 13-pounder for horse artillery, an 18-pounder for field artillery, a 40-pounder field Howitzer, and a 60-pounder for heavy batteries.

The establishment of the land forces for the financial year 1912-13 was fixed as follows. The number of effectives of all ranks on January 1st, 1912, aie also given.

Establishments

Effectives

1912-13

Jan. 1, 1912

Regular Force?, Home and Colonial i

. 172,082

167,3.54

Colonial and Native Indian Troops -

8,871

8,801

Army Reserve . .

. 139,000

137,682

Special Reserve ....

. 89,913

61,951

Militia Reserve ....

150

171

Militia (U.K.)

—

1,446

Channel Islands Militia .

3,166

3,113a

Malta and Bermuda Militia '-i .

2,894

2,682

Territorial Army

. 316,307

268,414

I.sle of Man Volunteers .

126

112

Officers' Training Corps .

1,008

708

Total

. 733,517

652,434

British Troops serving in India

. 75,886 . 809,403

77 557

Grand Total

729,991

1 Partially stationed abroad.

3 Oct. 1, 1911.

2 Stationed abroad.

In the ease of the permanently embodied troops, the regimental estab- lishment for 1912-13 was fixed at 134,280 at iiome, and (excluding especially enlisted Colonial corps and native Indian tr.>ops paid for by the Imperial Exchequer) 36,829 in South Africa and the 'Colonies ; thi^ leaves staff and various establishments out of account. It should be noted that the Special

Reserve and the Territorial Army are considerably below establishm<:^nt.