Besides the above, there are 342 battalions, 30 Engineer companies, and 100 companies of Foot Artillery of the Landsturm, for garrison purpose. In peace-time depôts for the Landwehr and Landsturm are not organised: preparations are however being made for instituting them.

Conclu­sions.

In this manner is organised the Army which has now for about ten years proudly taken its place alongside the proved and war-tried armies of the senior Powers. Anyone accustomed to English or German troops, such as the Brigade of Guards in Hyde Park, or the German Foot-Guards at Potsdam, will find much that is strange on seeing the Italian Army, resulting from the peculiarity of race. He will miss the upright bearing, the regular movements and the steady drill of the Infantry, and the well-groomed and glossy horses of the Cavalry; but he will be pleased with the picturesque uniforms of the Army, the extremely smart appearance and active movements of the Bersaglieri, with their waving green plumes, and with the martial and powerful bearing of the Alpini, with their upright plumes in their head-dress; and he will find that the cry of “Evviva il Re Umberto” sounds just as loud and strong here as our own English “God save the Queen.” The impression that he will take away with him will be that the like spirit of the ancient Romans has not been lost in their descendants, and that the young kingdom of Italy is well prepared to throw her Army as a decisive weight on to the side of victory in some future European war.

ADDENDUM TO ITALY

[P. 43]. Additional troops have lately been raised for service in Africa. They consist of—

1Regiment African Rifles (4 battalions),
1Regiment Native African Infantry (4 battalions),
1Battalion African Bersaglieri,
1Squadron Native Cavalry,
3Batteries African Mountain Artillery.

These are all for service at Massowah.

Italy. [LHS]