Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-06-03
HOW IT WILL BE IN THE FUTURE
Archibald Forbes's Battle Picture from
the Next Great War.

Let me briefly adumbrate the possibill-
tics-lndeed. / may say the probabilities
OF the results Of a great battle In the
next great gar. which is sure to be short.
sharp. and decisive" The fighting has
been prolonged and bloody. with the re-
suit that one side Is definitely beaten,
evacuates its positions and retreats more
or less precipltatcly, leaving on the
ground its wounded none Of whom could
be cared for while the conflict lasted.
The successful commanders ground Is
Uttered with his own wounded; he mas
them on his hands I'm thousands, ana ne
has also on his hands the thousands OF
the wounded OF the vanquished force
which has gone away. The conqueror
OF the future, II he accepts the old-time
conventional burden OF his adversary
wounded. will become its victim. He will
not accept the incubus. Is II TO be I'M
arincd that the victor In such circum-
stances will think twice even about his
own wounded, let alone the wounded OK
the other side? No. He Is In the Held,
not TO be a hospital nurse, but to follow
I'D his advantage by hammering on the
enemy who has departed, leaving his own
wounded behind, and who may come
hack again tomorrow 10 strike MIN
while clogged in the live and dead debris
Of Yesterdays battle. The victor WI
hasten away to overtakc or hang on the
skirts Of the vanquished army, leaving
the wounded Of both sides To be dealt
with as may be possible by such sur
s,oons as he can afford. in view Of future
contingencies, TO leave behind, and To the
ministrations Of cosmopolitan amateur
philanthropists Of the Red cross anu
kindred organizations. For there VIII
bc no more military bearer companies;
I'm the hunger for fighting men the LUZ
bearers per army corps OF the present
will have been incorporated into strong
brigade with arms in their hands and
place in the fighting line.
DESTRUCTIVE MODERN ARMS.
II is virtually impossible that any
one can have accurately pictured 10 NM
self the scene in its fulncss which the
next great battle will present To a be-
vildered and shuddermG world. We know
the elements that will constitute lis nor
rors. but we know them only, as II were
mechanically. Men have yet TO De
thrilled 10 the heart by the weirdness oil
wholesale death inflicted by missiles
poured from weapons the whereabouts OF
which cannot be disccrnod because OF the
absence Of powder-smoke. Nay II Dr.
Weiss's recently-inventei explosive OF
which great things have been predicted,
Is TO be brought into use In the German
army. there may no longer be any powder
the "vilainous saltpetre" superseded by
the more devilish fatty substance OF a
| broynish color" The soldier OF the next
war must steel his heart to encounter
: the deadly danger incident to the OK
plosions Of shells filled with dynamite,
| melinite. balllstite. or some other form
| Of high explosive I'm tho midst Of dense
masses OF men. The recent campaign In
| Matebeleland has Informed us with a
! grim triumph OF the sweeping slaughter
the Maxim gun can innict with its me-
| chaniCal stream Of bullets. Quick-irinS
! fcld-guns are on tho eve of superseding
! the type Of cannon in use in tho horse
! and hcd-batterics Of to-day. All these
instruments are on tcrra-hTma. If that
be Of any account But II there is any
] thing I'm tho story Of EdisOn's invention
| Of flying machine for military purposes.
| which can be SO stoered as 10 carry
and drop with accuracy 5o0 pounds Of ex-
| ploslvc material at a given point. or 10
| shed on an army "a shower Of dynamite.
then death incalculabe may rain down
as from the very heavens thcmsolves.-
| From THE Future of the Wounded I'm
| War" by Archibald Forbes. in the June
Scrihncr.