The diamond drill., 1890-05-10

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The day that war Is declared be-
tween France and Germany what will
happcnp At first there will be, OF
course. the general mobilization ac-
German staff has recently adopted.
On the German side that mobilization
will be effected In short time. La
less than seven days "A little over l.
4OO, 900 men will be concentrated on
the frontier ut the points fixed by the
general staff. The ears arc ready. and
the coal for the railroads was laid In
long ago.
-Four or five days after the first adj
vance 800, 900 men will form the sec
ond line, Finally there will be the
landstrum with about l.l0O. 600 on the
first call. All these troops are thor
oughly drilled and armed with repeat
ing rifles. The artillery and cavalry
have all that Is necessary for under
taking a campaign. One can imagine.
therefore, what the next war win be.
Ii will bc frightful and mcrcilcss. IL
is quite possible that the viciors will be
Just as much exhausted and dccimated
as the conquered. Certainly the
Franco-German war of 1870 will look
like child's play compared with the
coming struggle. which everybody Is
talking about, but which nobody but
a madman would desire.
We do not believe there is sensible
man in all German, who does not pray
for long peace. because tho next war.
even IL il should result in victory for
Germany. must make more widows and
orphans than all the wars of Europe
during the last hundred years.
Under the title of How Shall We
Attack in the Coming Warp" pam
phlet has recently appeared in Berlin.
supposed TO be the work of a statf Of
ficer. Ii treats Of the present con-
ditions of attack by infantry. in view
of all the changes OF tactics made
necessary by the repeating rifle and
the smokelcss powder. I'VE can no
longer count. says the writer. upon
our superiority IN numbers and in
armament. There is only one SUI
periority OF tactics. aud our tactics
must be adapted TO the conditions of
modern arms Now. these conditions
have changed with the enemy. aud we
must soon do like him. IL Is high
time To study the effects which tire new
arms must have upon the tactics of bat
tie. upon the way to lead troops into
action. In future all infantry which Is
not completely hors dc combat is in
vulnerable in front. The success OF an
attack according TO the old principles
OF warfare must prove an exception
and rcpusc the rule. This does not
mean that position cannot In future
be carried; every position can be car
ried. but not in front.
'In the next war the German in
fantry cannot count. rs in '70-'71. up
on the support OF the artillery. for the
enemy has made as much progress in
artillery rs Germany. If not more. and.
considering the range of the present
rifles. the artillery must keep itself nj
a greater distance than II did in years
past, and leave the battle 10 be decided
by the infantry. The advantage of
superiority of individual firing also
tends TO decline at long range, and,
above all. with weapons so easily ham
died as the modern small bore"
The pamphlet concludes whit the as-
sertion that while the offensive is still
the best form of combat. and the one
10 be recommended. IL must fail en-
tirely II the enemy is not cnvelopcd by
turning movements by which he can
be placed under convcrging fires.