§ *MR. ARNOLD-FORSTERI beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether in view of the fact that the Indian Army is unprovided with Horse or Field Artillery, other than mountain batteries, it is contemplated, in the event of war, that the Indian Army should take the field without Horse or Field Artillery; and, if not, what is the number of regular batteries which will be required, and from what source they will be provided.
§ THE UNDER - SECRETARY of STATE for INDIA (Mr. Charles HOBHOUSE, BRISTOL, E.)Except in expeditions of very small importance the Indian Army never takes the field without British troops. The Secretary of State has already informed the House that there are eleven batteries of Horse Artillery and forty-five batteries of Field Artillery now in India.
§ *MR. ARNOLD-FORSTERWill the hon. Gentleman answer my Question, which is—Are there any batteries of Horse and Field Artillery belonging to the Indian Army?
§ MR. CHARLES HOBHOUSEI do not quite understand what the right hon. Gentleman means. He is perfectly aware that there are no native batteries of Artillery, Horse or Field. But there are in India, available for campaigns in 1072 India or on the frontier, those numbers details of which I have already given.
§ *MR. ARNOLD-FORSTERPerhaps since he told my hon. friend the Member for Blackpool that he was totally misinformed in asking this Question, the hon. Gentleman will now say whether the Indian Army, which is not the British Army in India, has any Horse or Field Artillery.
§ MR. CHARLES HOBHOUSENo, none, and never has had since the Indian Mutiny.
§ *MR. ARNOLD-FORSTERThen it was not my hon. friend the Member for Blackpool who was misinformed, but the hon. Gentleman himself.