Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1888-10-06
The Armies OfThe Future.

In his recent article in the Fort
nightly Review, Gen. Wolseley con-
lectures that the time may come again
when an nations will resort to small
standing armies of highly-trained and
disciplined soldiers At present large
masses are the rule, each country
gathering into its army the largest
possible number of men, to whom it IS
impTacticable TO give more than a fair
sy good training. At the same time
the weapons employed by infantry, ar
fillery and cavalry are becoming 80
complicated that the average conscript
is unable, during the usual period of
service, to thoroughly learn their use.
Recent improvement in the ammuni-
lion and range Of guns necessitates
new methods of formation and new
movements in the field. Attack and
defense will demand hereafter quick
intelligence and skill on the part Of
the men in the ranks as well as the
officers. I'VE may fnd,' says Gen.
Wolseley, "that the soldier, to be at
his best, or to be even thoroughly effic-
lent, viii require such long, and above
all things such constant, training that
an army consisting Of q people in arms
will be impossible In fact we may
find out bye and bye that compare
lively small standing army of careful
~ selected men, the flower of the ma
tion, highly skilled in all manly exer-
cisee, h al military arts, and kept in
constant state of perfect training, is
more effective weapon fox fighting
pulposss than the slow-moving and
more or less l1nwieldy armies of the
present dsy." No doubt an age of
scientific implements of destruction
will demand scientific soldiers in in
ereasing proportions. To use dyna-
mite, gun-cotton melinite and roburite
properly, requires a trained intelli-
gence. The Calling, the Nordenfelt,
the Hotchkiss and the Maxim and 9th
err machine guns cannot be put into the
hands of raw levies, if the full power
of these weapons is to be gotten out
Of them. The magazine breech-load-
ing rifles, with which the armies of
Europe are now being supplied, will
be thoroughly effective, it is safe to
predict, only in the hands of thorough
Iy trained men. Education in the art
anA science of combat is to be the key
to success in The wars of the future.
This truth is already recognized fully
Ia the navies OF the world. The mod
err man ofwar has ceased to be ship
mad las been transformed into huge
and complicated steel machine. In
Lord gVolseiey's view, the fate of the
barge army OF to-day, if brought face
TO face with the highly-trained small
army which he has in mind, would be,
it appears, to be butchercd. It would
10 swept away, like the armies of the
Persian when opposed to the highly
trained corps Of Greek troops. Dog
ged otstinancy might sometimes OBJ
tain for it temporary success, as for
ths Zalus in their war with the Eng
fish, but in the end the victory would
be with the power having the best
troops, the best guns and the best
cQolmiaaariat, A point in, the Gener-
ais theory to be noted is the assump
son tlat any power viii be content
with 'small' army, and however
costly it may be to educate it's units.
The only limit to the size of armies in
the future, as now, will be, it is safe
tossay. the capacity of States to pay
for then The richer nation must
win, as being able to maintain the
larger body of ideal soldiers, provided
its political structure and circumstan-
ces permit it TO turn its resources free
" to warlike enterprises. 1t may be
that the armies of the future will be
smaller than now, but they will not
cost less The power Of nations that
are numerous and unintelhgent may
sGffar /. sarther relative decrease, while
The rich and educated may increase
their present ascendency, but there is
no improvement in prospect for the
taxpayer and the lover Of peace.
raaFrie0 IN prnhation