Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-08-01
MARCHING,
The Pace In Different Armies and tn,
Eject OF Music.

The Pace I'm Different Armies and tn,
Eject of Music.
From the st. James Gazette.
A curious report Of the marching can
| abilities Of the different European armies
drawn up at the German ministry for war,
has, at the moment, special interest The
figures are those Of the established "regula-
lions" Of the several services and Il ap-
pears that the length of the Russian SOL
dler's pace is II centimeters. of the Ger
man 50. while the French, Australian,
Italian, Belgian, Swedish and Swiss SOL
ders all tread a pace OF a. centimeters
The Italian soldier takes 100 steps In a
minute. the French from 112 to ll6, the
German lis. the Australian lis. and the
Belgian 10 steps. An Italian regiment
marches al the rate of 30 meters in the
minute, German regiment at So an Eng
lish at IS and a French regiment at SO
meters per minute. The meter is equal
TO about 81 1-3 inches and in English meas
ure, therefore, the rates OF progression OF
the Tour last mentioned regiments would
be tabouD as follows: The Italians ys
yards per minute: the Germans 80: the
English. -; the French, ~ yards per min
ute. III may be mentioned here that by the
regulations of the British service our
slow march consists of 80 3o-inch PAGES
to the minute, this measure being used
only on parade and for occasions Of solemn
pageantry. The quick march, in which all
eyolutions are performed, increases to 40
PAGES, while the double" rises TO 100
PAGES in the minute
1t h now generally agreed that as ath-
letes the moderns are stronger and able
TO obtain more results from their exertious
than the ancients." Whether this NAV he
justly said in reference to military prowess
Is perhaps not quite so clear The stand
ard pace of the Roman soldier was the
same as cur own go inchesD, the length
| OF D feet cling really the measurement of
two steTs or the space from the place
where either foot was lifted up to that on
which the same foot was again set down.
The Roman mile of $50 PAGES was equal
TO lather more than nine-tenths of our own
statute mile, and the legions usually
marched at the rate of twenty of their
miles tsay eighteen of oursD in five hours
But this was often exceeded on emer-
gency, and to estimate the true quality of
this performance ii must be remembered
that the Roman foot soldier carried d load
| or some sixty pounds weight besides his
arms Josephus says that on the march
he was 81 ut very little different from
beast OF burden" Lord Wolseey tells us
| that a division can march two and a half
miles an hour IL very well managed, but
| that, as a rule. time should be calculated
at two miles an hour. including ordinary
| halts
The rationale of cadenced marching is
too obvious TO require analysis and all
modern marches are as far as possible
| made to some kind OF music. Sounds"
said a great master Of military scieEce
have secret power over US, dispos!ng
our organs to bodily exercises and al th,.
same time deluding, as il were the toll OF
them" If the band is broken up Lord
Wolseley counsels officers TO call upon the
drums and bugies. The troops march lsi
per cent better than in silence" and this
resource also failing, the men should ne
got to sing by companies. All this was
well understood by the ancieuts. Plu-
tarch describes the Lacedaemonians. when
advancing 10 the attack. as keeping pace
| to the tine of their flutes: their music
Leading them into danger cheerful and un-
| concerned" Most of their actual marches
however, were performed in silence.
Sedate and silent move the numerous
bands;
No sound. no whispers but the chiefs
commands.
Those only heard.
| AS Josephus also records. when the Ro-
| man soldiers marched out of their encamp-
ment they advanced in silence" The Jews
We're accustomed to sing psalms when
marching out 10 war; but this was proba-
bly, the expression of religious fervor rath-
er than OF military instinct. There is,
however. some approach TO agreement
among authorities that 1t was Ito pre-
serve the military pace of the ancient SOL
diers that martial sounds We're invented
and drums introduced"
With such widespread experience of it's
! advantages. it is remarkable that cadenced
marching should have fallen into almost
total disuse during the middle ages To re-
| move this defect i'm the French military
system was one of the chief lahors of Mar
| shall Sake. In the middle of the last CEN
| fury the musical Instruments of the
French army were poor as most of the So
called marches" of their composers They
might, indeed. have turned their flies and
drums to better account; for the nature Of
| their discipline is sufficiently indicated by
| the following observation by Marshal SAKE:
AS every man is suffered to consult his
own ease and inclination, some march slow
! and others fast; but what is TO be expected
from troops that cannot be brought to
| keep one certain regular PAGER on the
contrary, their well-ordered marching was
the glory of the Prussian troops and the
| victories Of Frederick the Great at Ros
bach, Leuthen and Zorndorf We're greatly
due to this superiority. At this time the
| Germans had marches of great merit az
musical compositions. and the French pow
| erty in this particular was in fact, reliev-
ed from a German source. They also
| adopted many of the German Instruments
| as well as others in use among the Walloon
regiments. At this date Handel had given
| to our own troops the stately measure of
| the march in ''Scipio" and many another
composition of a similarly marked charac-
ter. But the time was not yet for such
strains The march in Die Zauberflote"
| or for the solemnity of Beethoven's funeral
| dirges.