by the trained men from
the reserve, and out of the excess numbers of the reservists and the
men who gradually each month in succession completed their training, a
supplementary reserve to maintain the cadres of the army in the field
was created. Inevitably, as the numbers ultimately employed in this
case far exceeded the two army corps for which alone provision had
been made, these supplies of men only lasted for the first twelve
months; but as long as they did so, the waste of war was compensated
to an extent such as never has been known in our campaigns before, and
hardly in those of any other Power except Japan, who appears to have
borrowed our methods exactly for her great struggle with Russia.

[Footnote 79: See Chap. I., p. 2.]

At the time of Kruger's ultimatum of October 9, 1899, the British
regular army was composed as follows:--

[Sidenote: Regular White troops.]

Warrant,
Officers. Non-Commissioned
Officers, and
men.
Cavalry 780 18,853
Royal Horse and Royal Field Artillery 660 18,855
Royal Garrison Artillery[80] 775 20,103
Royal Engineers 962 7,323
Infantry 4,362 144,103
Army Service Corps 240 3,858
Army Ordnance Department and Corps 227 1,433
Royal Army Medical Corps 831 2,876
Army Pay Department and Corps 205 582
Army Veterinary Department 131 --

9,173 217,986

TOTAL, all ranks 227,159.

[Footnote 80: Not including Royal Malta Artillery, 833 of all
ranks.]

[Sidenote: Their dispersion.]

These were all white troops; but it is essential that their
distribution over the surface of the globe should be realised. The
remarks which have been made as to the special cases quoted could
easily, with slight modification, be shown to apply in practically
every instance.

There were, including troops on the seas, on 1st October, 1899:--

Aden (Naval base)