Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1888-02-09
The NEW SWISS GUN.
A Talk W, IN an Army Omcer on the Eject
OF Warfare.

! Talk W, IN an Army O1lcer the Effects
of Warfare.
sIs not this indicative of a change in
the ethics of mo, Tern warfare?" asked
a reporter the other day of a well known
army officer connected with the War
Department. He was calling the Off
GERS attention to an item giving an
account of n new Swiss gan, and which
said: Owing to the smooth surface
of the steel-clad bullet it is believed
that the wounds inflicted will be much
more readily healed"
No." replied the officer, promptly.
THAT is not change. 1t has always
been believed by modern military men
that the killing of the enemy is less
desirable than wOunding them. Now
there is but one thing to be attained
when n conflict occurs between two
bodies of troops. YOu, on one hand,
are endeavoring to secure some ad-
vantage by forcing your enemy from
an important position. while they, of
course, are equally DESTROYS of repell-
ing you and securing Your place. The
first and only way of accomplishing
this end is by demoralizing your oPPo-
nents and forcing them to retreat
There are three means of demoraliZing
an army-frst, the cannonade, which
does comparatively little physical dam
age, but inspires in the hearts of many
of an advancing or defensive force
feeling of fear that often results in a
speedy panic and retreat; then comes
a wound, which has more of a moral
effect than you might suppose. A
wounded man always wants and
always gets great deal of
sympathy from his comrades, who,
seeing his condition are very apt
to be seized with sudden desire to
show generosity toward the poorfellow
and 10 help him to the rear. A
wounded man often means three men
out of the ranks, while a dead man
counts but one. And so, for this rea-
son, killing is put last in the list of
desirable demOralizers, as it is consid-
cred II useless barbarity.
The Chinese have the same theory,
it would seem, in regard to warfare.
They have an arrangement known by
the inelegant but expressive name of
'Stinkpot.' 1t is concentration of
diabolism and odor. The only use, of
course, to which it can be put in Il con-
t"~et is for demoralizing the enemy.
There are but few men who could
march through the atmosphere created
by this invention of the surprising
brain of the heather Chinese The old
Greek fire. was partly for destruction
and as much for decentralization. The
Roman idea of battle was purely SAN
culinary. Now, to come down to this
new bullet. The chances of death from
a wound resulting from it are eonsid-
erably reduced owing to the fact that
on leaving the gun its surface is COM
para lively smooth. The lead is COW
cred by thin sheet of steel, which
readily takes the rifling of the bore
and does not emerge with Jagged edges
which tear and irritate the wound and
increase the liability of death. The
rifling of the gun is also curious.
Heretofore it was thought that a rifle
of one turn in fifteen inches was all
that could be safely secured 1t was
believed that any thing sleeper would
cause q choke. Now this Swiss gun is
rifed with one turn in four inches,
which is unparalleled in the history of
the making of small arms. This in
sures great accuracy of aim, which in
turn enables marksman to wound an
antagonist rather than kill him out
right. - Washington Star.