FAIR PLAY FOR THE TERRITORIALS S INCE the beginning of August
the British public has been regaled with news of the joys and sufferings of the Territorial Army during its annual period of train- ing in camp. Press and news film combine to show with what cheerfulness the Territorials face the ordeals of a soldier's life ; the impression created is that camp is a lark almost literally of the first water. Such accounts are not wholly without value ; at least they emphasise the excellence of the human material pro- vided by this volunteer Army of 400,000 men. Properly trained, equipped, and officered they are capable of being one of the finest fighting forces in Europe, with qualities that must necessarily be lacking in even the best of conscript armies. But the question remains whether in fact their magnificent potentialities are being properly exploited ; whether they receive the leadership, the care and the equipment they deserve ; whether sufficient consideration has been given to the new character and needs of the Territorial Army since it has been transformed by having its strength first increased and then doubled. The new recruits are of a different kind from those who previously entered the Territorial Army. Their standard of education, their powers of mdgement and criticism, are considerably higher, and they have enlisted, with few exceptions, in response to a grave appeal at a moment which they know to be critical for their country. Very often they have enlisted despite that profound antipathy to the Army and to soldiering which most Englishmen share ; they will not be satisfied unless convinced that the best possible use is being made of their services.
The experiences of camp do not provide a complete answer to the questions raised here ; but they do provide significant evidence which cannot be overlooked. And it is no answer to contend that the vast majority of the Territorial Army positively enjoy their period of train- ing. Release thousands of young men from the monotony of their civil life and let them live like healthy young animals for a fortnight in the open air and there is practically nothing they will not enjoy. But war is not a holiday but a business, and camp should be a pre- paration for running that business efficiently and scien- tifically. By such a standard the Territorial Army fails. The diet provided in camp will serve as an example. To eat hungrily and with enjoyment food that would be rejected with disgust in civil life is almost a holiday in itself, and as such it is regarded ; but neither hunger nor appetite will make up for the deficiencies of a diet which contains no fresh milk, no fresh fruit and practically no fresh vege- tables. Again, even the best materials must be spoiled without adequate cooking arrangements ; in some camps this year the same cooking facilities are being used which served half the number of men last year, while the additional field-kitchens provided proved unfit for use. It may be argued that this is excellent training for the trials of war ; but the real training of the soldier should be in making the best possible use of his material, and the real question is this : if arrangements do not pass the comparatively easy test of camp, how will they pass the test of war?
When the problem of organisation is considered the Territorial soldier has indeed sufficient cause for alarm, if not now, in the future. Modern war is above all a question of organisation ; it involves the handling of enormous masses of men encumbered with highly elaborate mechanical equipment ; it is a business, not a profession, demanding a highly developed business tech- nique. By such a standard the Territorial Army fails deplorably. Much of this is due to the lack of an ade- quate clerical staff and even more to the la k of adequately trained officers and N.C.O.s keenly alive to the importance of time in any economically run organisation. The tendency is to regard the patience and discipline of the ranks as an adequate substitute for economy of time ; but while that patience is indeed almost inexhaustible, nothing is more irritating or dis- couraging than to find it exploited without reason, while it seems optimistic to hope that the enemy will be equally tolerant of inefficient staff work. The new recruit in particular automatically compares the standard of organisation in the Territorial Army with what he is accustomed to in business life ; a conclusion commonly expressed is that under competitive conditions the Terri- torial Army would be forced out of business in a few weeks. And is not war the most competitive of businesses?
The truth is that at present the officer corps of the Territorial Army is, for financial reasons, drawn from too limited a class to provide the very varied talents and abilities which are required to handle existing problems. It can be said confidently that the reserve of talent and ability in the ranks is vastly higher than can be found among the officers, some of whom treat the Territorial Army as an extension of public school life. Such an attitude is tolerated by the ranks, but arouses neither respect nor admiration, as the exceptionally efficient officer does. Worst of all, the combination of weak- nesses in the command inevitably reduces the initial enthusiasm and eagerness of recruits ; and it is precisely this enthusiasm, with the desire to understand and master the serious business of soldiering, which is their greatest asset. The Territorial Army is indeed admir- ably ready to encourage asking questions ; but the ability to teach, to give intelligent and intelligible answers, is unfortunately rare. One fact alone may perhaps show how little the authorities think of develop- ing education and intelligence. One of the most im- portant artillery camps provides no means whatever by which the soldier after his day's work may reasonably rest, read, write, or listen to the wireless, far less a technical library which many of the most eager would be glad to use. The N.A.A.F.I. (Navy, Army and Air Force Institute) provides a canteen and a restaurant to supplement the regular meals ; the gallant and evan- gelical Soldier's Home a small but for reading tracts, the Christian Herald and the Taller, and writing letters. The Army provides a billiard table and a darts board. The soldier's recreation is beer, said the N.C.O. when asked how one's leisure might be spent ; and so apparently the War Office prefers that it should be.
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