THE "SPECTATOR" EXPERIMENTAL COMPANY.
[TO THE EDITOR OF THE " SPECTATOR:]
SIR,—On Tuesday, July 31st, the Company was inspected by the War Office Committee on Physical Training. Sir Frederick Treves was unfortunately prevented from being present, but the following members of the Committee duly arrived shortly after 12 o'clock : Surgeon-General Sir Thomas Gallway, Dr. Haldane, of Oxford (brother of the Secretary of State for War), Dr. Pembrey, of Guy's Hospital, Colonel Egerton, commanding 1st Battalion Yorkshire Regiment, and Lieutenant-Colonels Melville and Davis, R.A.M.C.
Having first inspected the barrack-rooms and the men's dinners, the Committee next saw the Company on parade at 2 p.m., and afterwards made a closer examination of the men in the gymnasium before and during the performance of the exercises. Stripped to the waist, according to our usual custom since the hot weather commenced, the men showed to advantage, and made, I believe, an excellent impression. In consequence of our having omitted the " deep-breathing " exercises from the course of training, we have failed somewhat in cultivating the protruding chests that some authorities delight in, yet I do not think that the omission has been attended by any failure to develop the pectoral or abdominal muscles equally with the rest; and the Committee, at all events, made no disparaging comments upon this or upon any other account. Ever since the Company assembled two hours have been daily devoted to physical training—running, jumping, vaulting, physical drill with and without arms, and exercises in the gymnasium— with the result, so far as I am capable of judging, that almost without exception our men are as strong and healthy a lot of young fellows as anybody need wish to see. They have taken the greatest interest in their gymnastic training, well knowing that it is for their good. I will not pretend that there has been absolutely no instance of weariness in well-doing, but only one case has been permitted to come under my personal notice, and with this single exception all have shown themselves gamely determined to "stick it out." Now they are about to enter upon a period of somewhat relaxed severity in reference to physical training. Lieutenant Hutchinson, Coldstream Guards, Superintendent of Gymnasia at Chelsea Barracks, will inspect the Company on Thursday, so that before this letter appears in print the customary tests will have been applied, with, I trust, satisfactory results to all concerned. The present week will be in another direction also an eventful one. To-morrow the examination of the signallers will be COM- menced by Lieutenant Stone, of the Somersetshire Light Infantry, and will be continued day by day until completed. Owing to the large number of candidates, the task of the inspecting officer will be no light one; every man in the Company will try his fortune in semaphore signalling, and I fancy not less than sixty in Morse. I am a little nervous as to the results of the examination in Morse, because the long summer evenings have very detrimentally affected the training with the lamp. However, I shall be surprised as well as deeply disappointed if less than thirty men succeed in qualifying. I had almost forgotten to mention that on the 27th ult. the candidates for promotion to the ranks of sergeant and corporal underwent their written examinations in tactics and field engineering. Some of the questions I set myself, and others I took from various Sandhurst, Militia-competitive, and promotion examination papers. I have sent the answers given in both subjects by four men to Major-General Hutchinson, and am anxiously awaiting his opinion of them. I am myself exceedingly pleased, but to expressions of my personal gratification your readers are already too much accustomed, and many, no doubt, deem me hopelessly infatuated. I refrain, therefore, from saying more now than this, that, rightly or wrongly, one candidate scored ninety-one marks out of one hundred in tactics, and that the majority made not less than sixty in each subject. One private out of five who competed with the lance-corporals was successful in gaining that rank, but as all the original lance-corporals qualified, I have dis- rated nobody and made the last promoted a "supernumerary." Of those whose papers have been sent to General Hutchinson, the first is now a sergeant; the second, lance-sergeant; the third, corporal ; and the fourth—the private above-men- tioned—lance-corporal. Pending the remarks which General Hutchinson will, I trust, be kind enough to make when he has had time to examine the papers submitted to him, it will probably interest your readers to know that the men by whom they were written followed in civil life, previously to their engagement in the Spectator Experimental Company, the following occupa- tions, namely : assistant to his father, a bookseller, one ; labourer, one ; machinist, one ; servant at a public school (son of the drill instructor, an ex-sergeant-major), one. Finally, I may add that the " labourer " is the sergeant, and has, moreover, been given the honorary rank of colour-sergeant. The selections for promo- tion were based upon qualifications under four headings : (1) smartness and proficiency at drill ; (2) general capacity for command; (3) answers in written examination in tactics; (4) similar answers in field engineering. Three of the sergeants had, in the opinion of the Board, composed of Mr. Walsh, the sergeant- major, and myself, apparently equal claims to the post of colour- sergeant. We decided, after much discussion, that the fairest proceeding would be to put these three names into a hat. A visitor, who happened to be here at the time, was good enough to " draw " for us ; hence the elevation of the highly deserving "labourer," who it may be mentioned is a marksman, an excellent signaller, and beyond all question the best gymnast in the Company.
Hounslow, August 6th. —I am, Sir, &c., A. W. A. PoLLocK, Lieut.-Colonel.
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