The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-01-06
TO WOUND MEN, MOTTO KILL THEM
An Army Officers Views on tho Ethics
of Warfare.


as not this Indicative Of a. change in the
ethics of modern warfarem asked reporter
the other day of well-known army officer
connected with the War Department. He
was calling the officers attention TO an item
in Tuesdays Washington Star, giving an
an account of new Swiss gun, and which
said: lowing to the smooth surface of the
steel-cad bullet, it is believed that the
wounds inflicted will be much moro readily
healed
mo" 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 a conflict occurs
between two bodies of troops You, on one
hand, are endeavoring to secure some
advantage by forcing your enemy from an
important position, while they, OF course.
are equally DESTROYS of repelliug you and
securing your place. The first and only
way of accomplishing this end is bv demon
alizng your opponents and forcing them to
retreat. There are three means of demora-
lizing an army-hrst the canuOnade
which does comparatively little physical
damage, but inspires in the hearts Of many
of All advancing or defensive force feeling
of fear that often results in a specify panic
and retreat; then comes a wocnd, which has
more of IA moral effect than YOU might SUD
pose 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 a sudden desire
To show generosity toward the pOor fellow
and TO help him to the rear. A wounded
man often means three men out of the
ranks, while dead man counts but for
one. An so, for this reason, killing is put
last in the list of desirable demoralizeIs,
as il is considered useless barbaritv.
THE Chinese have the same theory. IT
would seem, III regard TO warfare They
have an arrangement known by the inele-
giant but expressive name Of 'stiukpOt' II
is a concentration of diabolism aud odor.
the only use, OF course, to which it can he
put in a contest is for demoralizing the
enemy. There are but few men who could
march through the atmosphere Crea ed by
tins invention OF the surprising brain Of the
heather Chiuee The Old Greek ire was
partly for destruction and as much for
Generalization. The Roman idea OF battle
was purely sRnguinary. Now to come
down TO this new ballet. The chances of
death from "a wound resulting from il are
considerably reduced, owing TO the fact that
ON leaving the gun Its surface is compare
lively smooth. The lead is covered by a
thin sheet of steel, which readily takes the
riiiing Of the bore and does not emerge
with jagged edges which tear aud irritate
the wound and increase the liability of
death. The ritiing of the gun is also curious.
Heretofore 1t was thought that rifle of one
turn in fifteen inches was all that could be
safely secured. IL was believed that any
thing sleeper would cause a choke. Now.
this Swiss gun is ritied with one turn in
four inches, which is unparalleled in the
history of the making of small arms This
insures great accuracy of aim, which in
turn enables a marksman to wound On an
tagonist rather than kill him outright.