The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-07-04

The recent foot race from Paris to Bel
fort gives the French papers material on
which to build up theories In regard to the
marching ability Of the soldiers OF tho present
day as compared with that OF the men OF long
ago. The Liberts. referring to the former su-
perlority OF the Spanish infantry. says TINT It
consisted In the great staying power OF the
men. In that rugged country. with difficult
means Of communication. wanting in navi-
gable rivers. and having few horses bc-
cause Of tho scarcity OF fodder. the
men used to travel on foot. and were
constantly on the move. Forty years ago in
Spain a tramp Of fifty or sixty miles day had
terrors for nobody. because In many localities
the young follows were in tho habit Of walking
twenty kilometres for q package OF tobacco
and forty kilometres to go zee the noria To-
day. with tho railroads. coaches and omnl-
buses. the habit OF walking has become
diminished. and in the last Carlist war it Was
discovered that the men were far less tough
than their fathers were. In France. since
1855. regiments are moved principally in rail-
way cars. In 1880 march OF thirty kilome-
tres day. with rest on the NTH day. was
considered abnormal. What would it be
to-day. when. to avoid going ono kilometre ON
foot. our young mon take tho omnibus p
This Is difficult question to answer with
the people OF this country. Certainly the
American never walks. II no can get ride:
but for all that. when no is put to It, he appears
to get along just as we'll as the Englishman
who walks a great deal for the sake OF walk
Ing. II the evidence OF the athletes OF
tho present time Is not irrelevant and
immateriai." to borrow a favorte phrase
from our friends OF the bar. tho pres
ent generation is considerably ahead both
In strength and endurance. All tho old
records OF long distance walking and running
have been broken to spllnters by the young
fellows Of to-day So have tho records OF tho
old-time weight llfters 1t may be that these
exceptional cases cannot furnish evidence
strong enough to break down tho suspicion
that the masses OF the present time are moro
lazy. and consequently less tough. than the
average mon OF days gone by; but at all events
| tho recent manpuvres OF the French and Ger
man armies scem to provo that the average SOL
dior can march yet. II not as well as the Span
isrds in times past. ut least long enough and
fast enough for oil practical purposes. To get
there Is the determination OF the people OF to-
day. on wheels II they can. on foot II they
must. Walking is pleasant. healthful. and In
| MIGRATING: but the network Of railways all
over the world Just now naturally brings ono
to tho conclusion that long marches for In
fantry are the property OF the past. However.
1t ls not impossible that In some extra ordinary
cases they may yet have to be performed.
and that seems to be good ground for the
| opinion that the soldiers OF to-day will Get
along Just as we'll ns their grandfathers did.
Moreover. 1t Is well worth remembering that
In our civil war the palc-faced city chaps who
wouldn't walk q block II they had fvo
cents for a ride. could stand tho strain
Of long march Just as well as. II not
better than. the hardy country fell
lows accustomed to work In the felds.
CESAR himself preferred troops recruited in
tho cities. on account OF their endurance. Tho
Lrecise cause OF that endurance was a mystery
to him: and In oil probability among our pros
cnt doctors there 10 sufficient disagreement In
regard to 1t to make 1t a mystery still for
most people The fact that men don't walk Is
not always evidence that they can't