The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-03-22
ENDOFTHE WARFIEND
The Horrid Monster About to
Devour His Own Vitals.
SCIENCE At LAST TRIUMPHANT.
Perfection Of Means Of Destroying Lafe
Removes Reaeon for Doing IT.
Battles OF the Future.


oak 1t bores through three plates Of
three-quarter iron set an inch apart. and
only then ceases to penetrate because IL
Is melted and yaporized. The first man
killed with II in Americas prisoner at
Fort Sneridan-was shot on the run al the
distance OF fifty yards. The bolt burst his
skull. passed through q live oak eight
inches in diameter andn buried itself three
feet in a clay bank. II Is the most deadly
small missile that ever split the air. II
carries two miles, and kills wherever II
kisses.
For 600 yards this flying death pin rises
but 4-l0 feet from a right line. The YER
tical range for all this distance IL only
from the groin to the forehead OF a man.
The missile is 80 light that the soldier
easily carries 100 rounds in his belt. The
magazine of the rife holds five rounds.
that are emitted in three seconds IN
horrid death spit at the close of the charge.
No mortal foe can stand before the blast
The balls of our old guns flew UP in
trajectory over the heads OF the interven-
ing enemy. and dropped in spots. doubt
fully and spent, on distant line, but tE1s
mortal lead sting goes straight and Kills
mile and a half Is visible only as mouse,
but the little bolt finds and pierces him
So much for the work of the open field.
The great guns Of the modern ship and
fortress are still more terrible. The new
thirteen-inch and sixteen-inch rifed can
non OF Great Britain throw bolts that are
irresistible The range is twelve miles and
more. A feet armed with these guns
anchored of Coney Island can shell
Grants tomb. One Of these monster en-
gines can drop its vomit into the gut Of
Broadway. below the city hall, and send
Trinity church and Wall street bowling
after the ghost of Tweed. shot out OF
one Of these hell threats will go through
the side of any American man-of-war as
though the plating we're a cookie. 1t is
high time that Samuel J. Tflden's essay
on Coast Defenses" should be revised and
enlarged.
The general effect of this is prophecy
of the end of war. That monster seems to
be about to devour his own vitals. The in
dications are that he will soon sulp down
not only his spleen, but also his heart and
liver.
The progress of modern warfare has
been marked by alternate improvements
in offensive and defensive weaponry 1t
has been the contest OF projectile and ar
NOR. First invent an irresistible missile
and then an impenetrable plate. 1t Is an
enlarged example Of the contention be-
tween the burglar and the shoemaker. The
burglar wants to force his way in. and the
shoemaker wants to keep him out. On the
commensurate. Now the burglar has had
II and now the shoemaker. For while
offensive weapons have been most I'M
proved. and then for a while the means of
defense have been perfected. We have had
also the Observation-Disclosures paradox. as IL
Illustrated In our existing marvellous navy.
that cost the American people last year
over SIS. 900 and is not worth a cent.
This is hard saying, but worthy of all
acceptation. The writer would fain with
hold II. He would not utter such a judg-
ment II he had a fear for his country or
his countrys honor. But he regards war
as the remaining goblin of the dark ages
and all preparation for war a mere dis
play of that ignorance which refuses to
recognize moral force and justice as the
only invulnerable panoply and shield of a
nation.
| At the present time science makes the
| greatest advances in projectiles-that is.
| In improving the means OF destruction.
| Science, in this age, is in her destructive,
| not her protective. mood. The discovery
| of Irresistible explosives has been corre-
lated with the invention of enginery which
| would have paralyZed the Imagination
| only fifty years ago The improvement Of
| the means of attack and destruction has
| been so overwhelming that war has
| reached the verge of absurdity. Thought
| has so combined with the physical amino
| sites of the world that those who WELD
| the agents of destruction are obliged TO
| pause before pulling the lanyard and laugh
at the criminal Climax
| lie who is able TO destroy the enemy
| need not do It. Having the power TO an
| initiate. 1t becomes a crime to exercise
| It. The only rational struggle, whether
| Individual. social or national, is that
| which leaves 10 each OF the combatants
| the opportunity to survive. There must
be chance OF winning and a chance OF
! that one army gets into the power OF an
| other by strategy. That done, nothing
remains for the army in advantage to
| the signal and fire. But there is no
| need OF firing when the enemy is beaten
| ere the blast come. Warfare has thus
risen through the agency az science TO the
| level OF thought. The battle is won on
the plane OF life and not on the plane OF
| death. It looks as though brutality and
! violence wera about to vanish IN the wind
OF genius. The reign Of force is about TO
| cvass by its Own limitations. God Is tired
| OF war
rejoice that Il Is 50. rejoice that war
has reached the reductio ad absurdum. I
| am glad with A great gladness that the era
! has Sawnsd IN which Justice and truth
and Righteousness must az least Begin
TO sway The actions and policies % men
and nations. Fighting is we'll enough
! among the forces of nature. The sea NAV
| pines and mountain oaks till their proud
heads break and crash down the precipices
The volcano. with its lava foods and ash
| clouds Is well enough. and the earthquake
| Is not only permissible. but commsndabie.
Animal life. mere brute life. may-if il
wili-expsnd itself in violence. That is
natural and good but man IS % another
/ mold He is either a creature 81 moral
! forces and purposes or else he IS nothing.
II he possesses thought ana no ethics. he
is a devil ard ough; not 20 be. Possess
| ing thought and conscience. he has strug-
giei I'D from mere savagery toward the
high level OF the civilized life. He Is Just
now with 3sficui;y climbing over the edges
aut planting himself OF the higher plane.
| HIS habits n destroying his fellows IN war
/ belarr= 20 the dark and bloody world
which ~ leaves haHiud him Certain as
mar i man. certain az he has a soul and
cares a light. the .ei<n Sf warfare ia
tbs wcrAt must end. II AUST end some
| time some a here and somehow. All !nsss-
! buttons fhst are maintained ~ warfare
/ must perish and pass away. All plans ard
| AMBITIONS Of men and nations that are be-
! gotten ~ iAe womb % violence must soon
! ~ or a.s- .<sue n abortion and feath-
| either thai or elza al that Pertains 20 a
hlxher Hfs among mankind must % h-aai-
81 as 4 famous invention q drearners and
| p-l-S-s
| sps,ens.Aiy the ~crii was never 50 var
Ike "a at me present day. To the casual
observer =, would appear thai war an.i
| tf4 -rsoararica for & are ere on'v
| Thoughts e nations Taey are all n ore
mood Fvsn the political He which =
the Ia nos, IN evidence, IS only sub
! ordinate ulay IN TIE real drama % war.
SO many ea3 50 great standing armies
/ %%va- taf1-a were there Stvrh T.A4= ara