MILITARY POLICE. A distinct corps of military police, with functions similar to the provost guard in the United States Army (see ARMY ORGANIZATION ) , is a part of many Eu ropean armies. In the British Army it con sists of mounted and dismounted branches, with headquarters at Aldershot (q.v.). Their duties are similar to the civil police, but are con fined to the soldiers of the district in which they are stationed. In time of peace they are scattered in detachments of varying strength throughout the standing camps and large garri sons of England and Ireland. On active service they carry out the orders of the provost-marshal (q.v.), and maintain good order and military discipline in the command to which they are at tached. On the mareb they are in the rear of the column, to arrest stragglers, deserters, etc. (See MARcHING.) They are recruited from the regular army, and are confined exclusively to noncommissioned officers and men of several years' service and unblemished record. Every member of the force is a noncommissioned officer, and acts with the full authority of sileh. Their uniform is similar to that of the field artillery. in France these duties are performed by the gendarmes (q.v.). The military police of Ger many come into active employment during war time, when each Army corps mobilizes two de tachments, one to accompany the corps itself, and one for the line of communications. Police forces organized on a semi-military basis exist throughout the British Empire. The Royal Irish Constabulary was the model upon which the Canadian Northwest Mounted Police was or ganized, a force which is altogether military in organization and equipment, and which has on various occasions served as a military corps. Their principal duties are to patrol the frontier, maintain the laws, and control the Indians, in which latter duties they have been conspicuous ly successful. Similar bodies were organized
throughout Australia, for duty in the gold-min ing camps primarily, and afterwards to control the natives and protect isolated ranches or sta tions. In organization there is generally a colo nel, lieutenant-colonel, or major at the head, who is in turn responsible to the Minister of the Interior. Rank and title are the same as in the regular army. In South Africa the Cape Mounted Police, a force consisting in 1901 of 68 officers, 1922 men, and 1572 horses, are avail able for military duties whenever required, and are included in the military defenses of the col ony. The British Central Africa Protectorate employs a military police, consisting of about 250 Sikhs from the Indian Army and 1070 trained native troops. They are under British officers, and are charged with the duties of maintaining order and suppressing the slave traffic. The area under their jurisdiction covers -12.217 square miles, and is divided into twelve districts. They also police the eastern portion of the British South Africa Chartered Company's territory, north of the Zambezi, for which they receive pay ment. The Uganda Rifles constitute the armed constabulary of the Uganda Protectorate, and consist. of native levies, numbering about 4000 men, under British officers. The Natal \l minted Police numbers about 660 officers and men, and constitutes the nucleus of the military forces of the colony. The Rhodesian military police forces now include all tlie small bodies of men formerly engaged in the division of what is now termed Rhodesia, the corps as a whole being under the nigh Commission( r, as are also the forces of the Bechuanaland Protectorate and Ilasutolan41. Similar forces are maintained throughout the Gentian possessions in East and Southwest Af rica. See PCOIOST .MARslIAL.