Smyrna times., 1890-02-12
What Tremendous Prepara-
tionS
MORE ABOUT THE COMING WAR IN
EUROPE.

On the day that war is declared be-
tween France and Germany, what will
happen? At first there will be, of
course, the general mobilization ac-
cOrding 10 the new method which the
German staff has recently adopted.
On the German side that mobilization
will be effected in very short time.
In less than seven days a little over
l ,4OO,O men will be concentrated on
the frontier at the points fixed by the
general staff. The cars are ready and
the coal for the railroads was laid in
long ago.
-Four or FIVE days after the first ad-
vance, 100000 men will form the Sec
Ond line. Finally there will be the
landstrum with about l, 100000 on the
first call. All these troops are thor
Oughly drilled and armed with the re-
peating rifle. The artillery and cav
airy have all that is necessary for un-
dertaking a campaign. One can
imagine, therefore, what the next war
will be. 1t will be frlghtful and mer-
ciless. II is quite possible that the
victors will be just as much exhausted
and decimated as the conquered. Ger
tainly the Franco O-Ger.nan war of 1870
will look like child's play compared
with the coming struggle. which every
body is talking about, but which no.
body but a madman would desire.
We do not believe that there is
sensible man in all Germany who does
not pray for long peace, because the
next war, even if it should result in a
victory for Germany, must make
more widows and orphans than all the
wars of Europe during the last hun
dred years.
Under the title of "How Shall we
Attack in the coming Warp" a pam
phlet has recently appeared in Berlin,
supposed to be the work of staff
officer. 1t treats of the present cOndi-
tions of attack by infantry, in view of
all the changes of tactics made neces.
sary by the repeating rifle and the
smOkeless powder. 1--WE can no longer
count" says this writer, upon our
superiority in numbers and in arma-
ment. There is only one superiority
that we must sndeaVOr to assure, and
that is the superiority OF tactics, and
our tactics must be adapted to the con
ditiOns of modern arms. Now, these
conditions have changed with the
enemy and we must soon do like him.
1t is high time to study the effects
which the new arms must have upon
the tactics of battle, upon the way to
lead troops into action. In future all
infantry which is not completely hOrs
de combat is invulnerable in front. The
success of an attack according to the
old principles of warfare must prove
an exception and a repulse to the rule.
This does not mean that a position in
future cannot be carried; every posi-
ton can be carried, but not in front.
I'm the next war the German infan-
try cannot count. as in '70-'71, upon
the support of the artillery, for the
enemy has made as much progress in
artillery as GWmany, if not more; and
considering the range of the present
rifles, the artillery must keep itself at
a greater distance than it did in years
past, and leave the battle to be decided
by the infantry. The advantage Of the
superiority of individual firing also
tends to decline at long range, and
above all, with weapons so easily han
died as the modern small bores."
The pamphlet concludes with the
assertion that while the offensive i,
still the best form of combat and the
one to be recommended, it must fai
entirely If the enemy is not envelOped
by turning movements by which ht
can be placed under converging fires
-POseR Courier.