TITE KASHMIR IMPERIAL SERVICE ARTILLERY. B27/ 
their equipment and opportunities go, now leave little to be desired. 
The other side of the question, however, must not be overlooked, viz., 
the difficulty, almost impossibility of getting natives to maintain that 
constant care and attention to routine, without which a battery cannot 
be efficient. There is little tradition of discipline in a native State 
army, no public opinion to condemn a slack officer, very little local 
opinion to praise a smart one, or admire a smart corps. Hence these 
products of civilization had all to be engrafted on not very promising 
material. It is now only some 5 years since No. 2 battery was organized 
for Imperial Service and only 3 years since No. 1 was so remodelled as 
to be practically re-raised. It was not possible, as when new corps 
are usually formed, to draw a nucleus of officers and non-commissioned 
officers from some old corps. Hence officers, non - commissioned 
officers, men and mules practically joined together and had to be 
trained at one and the same time, the native officers receiving a short 
training with a Mountain battery of the P.F.F. 
It is not surprising, therefore, that at first mules and material 
suffered considerably from neglect born of ignorance, but the batteries 
have now made considerable progress and turn out and march very 
creditably, while the officers have taken an interest in their work and 
have acquired a sense of responsibility that was hardly hoped for amid 
the difficulties and anomalies that presented themselves when the corps 
were formed. Considering how little inducement there is for the 
officers to be really proficient, the work they do is most creditable, for 
they have small prospect of real advancement and need do little more 
than will save them from the inspecting officer advising their removal. 
When any work is to be done, they respond readily, whether it be 
an arduous march as in the advance to Chitral, or to turn out smartly 
for a day in the hills or an inspection. It is in the every day routine 
of stables and care of animals and equipment that any difficulty is 
found in keeping them up to their work. 
The inculcation of a spirit of discipline in an army which in 
previous years has always deserted with impunity when displeased 
with its officers, has been no small difficulty, though the want of it has 
been minimised by the amenable nature of Dogras generally. The 
Kashmir authorities have not yet seen their way to give good conduct 
pay and the absence of this decreases the effects of the ordinary 
summary punishments of the commandants, since there is no good 
conduct pay to be forfeited. 
The administration of the Kashmir army is in the hands of the 
commander-in-chief (hon.) Lieut.-Colonel (in the British Army) Rajah 
Sir Ram Singh, K.C.B., assisted by Colonel Neville Chamberlain of 
the Central India Horse, who was deputed by Government to advise 
the durbar on its military affairs and help carry out the reduction of 
its overgrown and somewhat turbulent army and reorganize it on its 
present lines ; a work of no small difficulty, enhanced by the maintenance 
of a considerable force at Gilgit and the question of its supply. 
Under the commander-in-chief is an adjutant-general and quarter- 
master-general and the usual staff at head-quarters, all native officers 
of the Kashmir army. There are also pay and medical departments 
