Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1891-04-28

BILE. A single shot from the skirmish
line l. hcnceforth absolutely inper.
ceptihlc, and snlvO from the line OF
Infantry ut 800 yards only produces
thin bluu.white vapor like tobacco
smoke, that vanisbcs almost instantly.
In no Instance, not even In the fifing
u heavy ordnance, IL the vapor donre
enough 10 indicate even ut short firing
range the position NJ artillery or In
fantry.
These facts aud others showing the
insidlOus properties Of this new agent
Ia modern warfare were discussed at
length In "A recent meeting Of the milf
try board In the army building, when
II was decided that the new powder
should be tested officially Mt Spring
field with View 10 its introduction
into the American army. OF course,
powder without smoke, cannot become
the privilege Of the American army.
European nations have taken up the
problcm and several u them boast Of
havinga formula OF theirow Hence
advantages aud lsadvantngca attend.
Ing it, uFe on the field " battle win he
common 10 both slide. Each acquires
better view Of his adversary, but loses
the protection that n veil u smoke
afforded him. a priorl one can Judge
how doubly important becomes the
advantage Of being the first ~ SEQ the
enemy, unseen by him, II possible.
In spite VI all the precautions which
may be- taken 10 discard those details
In the uniform that might mark too
conspiciously the presence u troop,
surprlse--nnd surprises are common
occurrences In war will bc much
easier 10 eject than before. The side
that fret receives the fire will suffer
serious disadvantage. for some time
must clnpse before II can ascertain
whence comes the attack, aud the
forces belonging 10 either side though
not two miles away, may know nothing
Of the skirmlsh.
Owing 10 the distance that two
armies preserve during the prcliminar.
les OF a combat, cavalry Is lntTustod
with the honor OF getting information,
perilOus trust nj best, when II IA con-
sidefed that q mounted troop IL not
easily kept out Of sight, and that the
chances are against it, being tho first
10 discover u well.lntrenched advance
post. Moreover, II II IL true that In
recent wars the increased Improve.
ments Of quickfirinR arms has dlmin-
ished the efiiency OF the cavalry role,
IT, future charge without the protection
ofsmoke 10 cover itA advance il looked
upon NJ problematic.
The result Of tho new powder In
what concerns infantry II doubtful, no
much depends on the quality OF the
troops. As long m he Is ambushed the
infantry soldier viii he myth; firing
Mt 600 yards, his shot will neither be
seen nor heard, only felt. but, II IL
stated by army officers, his role IL not
10 remain stationary. He must nd
vance and show himself. No longer
protected by cloud OF smalsu, hc will
have 10 face furllade tenfold more ap-
paiiing than Antlotam or Gettysburg.
Then?
Artillery, says tho veterans, gains
everything by operating In n clear field.
Before II worked bllndfolded; the
enemy's smoke served M aim, and II
was often deceptive. Now tho exact
position Of the opposed artillery win be
visible. With oven chances, when
once battery has attained precision In
Its aim, which before could be- but Inn
perfectly determined on account OF
smoke, II viii serve ~ guild. 10
ncighboring batteries, aud thus the n re-
Will be concentrated and more ctIec-
tive. So that the artillery, N not the
infantry aud cavalry, would scrm 10
be- the gainer by the great martial
transmission nom much smoke TO no
smoke nj all.-New York Tines.