St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-01-02

Atkins the gay Tommy Atkins, l mean
showed a considerable amount of de-
preston, especially as the cOmpany's
cook had only half rations to deal with,
and no plum duff whatever. | used to
get away from the silent part of the
camp. where these poor fellows sat so
depressed, and, lighting my pipe, l
would wander into the GoOrkha camp
and listen to their bright chatter, look at
their lively, grinning faces in the flick
Ell of their camp fires, and afterward re-
tire to my tent with the feeling in my
heart that all things would go we'll on
the morrow, such comfort would one
gather from our light-hearted, brave.
mdaunted Indian allies. But have
come to the conclusion, taking him for
world is there soldier to compare with
Tommy Atkins. love him! God bless
him!'
"Now, Mr.. Villiers," said 1, "what
about the warfare of the future? Moltke
has passed away, and with him, to a
great extent, that specific scientific sys-
TEN which he introduced, and of which
he was so fond. What kind of man do
you think the general of the future
will be?"
T. Gas you suggest" replied the expe-
rienced war correspondent, things are
all changed. Everything is altered.
What with modern arms of precision,
smOkeleSS powder, ETC., L firmly believe
that men of the Skobeleff type will be
the successful men in the future-Sko-
belief or Gordon. They upset all the
cut-and-dred ideas of modern conti-
mental strategy"
"Well, but, Mr.. Villiers, can imagine
lil-n SRnhplptf
Gordon, leading a horde of religious
fanatics like the Russians or the Turks
to victory: but would not calm, quiet
Moltke best suit the phlegmatic.
thoughtful German, or steady-golng.
common-sense Englishman?"
ut isn't a question:" replied Mr..
Villiers, "of mad general leading his
troops impetuouSly on to some forlorn
position, out it is the man with the mad
ideas and yet with power of sane eXecu-
ton who will be the leader of the future.
Let me give you an instance. A well
known English officer of engineers sug-
gested this idea to me, and one which
certainly would have been adopted by
Skobeleff. Picture to yourself a night
attack and the enemy in front, only to
be recognized Individually by spurts OF
fire down the ranks. Such man as L
am speaking OF WOulu arm nuihUeI VI
mounted infantry with the good old
fashioned long bows, which should
harasS these men continually with the
terrible shafts which won for us
Cressy and Agincourt. 1t sounds
absurd, but it is an idea
that Skobeletf would have acted on
without hesitation. The warfare OF the
future will be greatly matter of hand
to-hand fighting. 1t will also be largely
question of night attacks. Night bat
ties will require missiles of this de-
scription-swift, silent; an air-gun
weapon which will not discover ITSELF"
closed the interview with a question
as to Mr.. Vililer's opinion concerning
the war which is surely imminent III
Europe. His reply is worthy of note.
''ln the East the great battle-ground
of the future will be the Euphrates
valley, or in that neighbOrhood. Ger
many and France will probably settle
their differences in Belgium, and the
field of Namur will once more be
drenched with the blood of the Teuton
and the Gaul."
And with this our interview came to 4
pacific close.