The times., 1897-05-23
CYCLING IN WARFARE.
Experiments Being Carried on by
the French Army.

the French Army.
1t is evident that the cycle is now in
| course OF effecting a very potent revolution
| In the manners and customs of men and
| women, and it may he interesting to the
| cyclists to hear about the new Gses and
| purposes to whichit is puI in France. From
military point of view cycling TX, as yet.
! in its infancy. Up 10 the present time in
| the Preach army cyclists have been en-
| ployed chiefly to transmit orders and carry
messages, but il is now proposed to form
| cyclist csorps of coiDbatants-a kind OF
/ mounted infantry, using bicycles instead OF
| ponies. An experimental company OF sixty
inen has been formed by Capt. Gerard, w no
| has invented for their use an ingenious
| bicycle, which can fold in two by means
| OF hinge on the cross5ar, so that when
| folded the front wheel and hind wheel are
| next to each other, and the machines be
/ come readily portable on the mems shoul-
ders The cyclist company, as at present
| organized consists OF four sections, twelve
/ men each, commanded by one sergeant aud
| two corporals, thus making up total Of
| foEty-eignt rank and file, with -four ser
| geants and eight corporals The folding
bicycle is provided with leather braces, to
enable the men.to carry IL on their backs
| The uniformis a blue jersey, blue flannel
| belt, loose cloth jacket cut very like
( pilot coat, or an open Norfolk jacket, red
| trousers. close fitting from the knee, leg
| gins and ankle boots. These latter are
| the worst part of the equipment, and verify
| the proyerb that the French soldier is the
worst snod in Europe. The equipment
! consists of the regulation bet with three
| pouches, each containing forty rounds of
| ball cartridge In the pouch carried at the
| back there is room provided for the pump
| and the usual tools A canvas bag is also
| provided to hold spare Jersey. I be
! armament consists of d Lebel rifle and
bayonet Two cycle-smiths are attached
| to the company. They ride coupled
bicycle, and carry spare nuts, tires, air
| Chambers files, hammers, and other
ticles to repair the machines. van is
attached to the company containing
| portable forge. a box ofa ammunition and spare
wheels together with the mems knapsacks
and officers yalises.
This company was tested at the last
autumn maneuyres near Laon. and was
used for reeonnoitering, scouting and adj
yanced post duties. Thus, when it was
thought necessary 10 occupy, at some dis
tance from the main body, given
strategic point, the cycle company was
| dispatched to take possession OF 1t, and,
thanks to the rapidity Of its movements
| for scouting and recoDnoltering duties, 1t
| is said TO have been very seryiceabie.
! When the ground is iTnpracticable, then
| the men fold their machines, strap them
| TO theiT ba cks, Chamber over steep wooded
hills, snd then, on regaining level ground,
| rig up their machines, and are once more
| on the wing According to Russian mill
! tary writer. Gen Plioutsinski, the t1cycie
| is the ideal mount for mounted infantry,
| as the rapidity and continuity CT its move
| mcnts are ot interfered with by the neceS-
| sity OF providing forage and water IL Is,
| however, obvious that the experiment, TO De
| conclusive would have to be carried out
on a far larger scale. According to this
! Russian authority, the military cyclists
| ought TO he able TO travel at d rate OF Thirty
| to tfirty-fiye veTsts an houI-the Serst is
1,1GT yards. This seems 10 nIe rather an
| exaggeration. But itisClea thati in France,
! a country so amply provided with excellent
| roads, trained bodies of crack shots ana eX-
| peIienced cyclists, might III reconnoiteT-
| ing service even surpass the exploits OF The
| uashing Uhians during the Franco PrusSian
| war and bc pushed on as feelers long uis-
/ tance from the main body OF their army.
For this service the cycle seems extremely
well fitted But that bodies OF cyclists
would have any chance against well-trained
bodies of cavalry, it seems To NE little
| premature TO claim.
| one OF the advantages for the scouting
| service is the absolute silence with which
the cycle can move But L requires good
| roads. what would become OF body OF
| cyclists having to go over read broken
up bv the passage Of artillery after heavy
rains. it is easy enough to imagine-and
| once off the road they would be practically
/ worse than useless Stl, the expert
| nent is a very interesting one, and it is
! TO be hoped that Capt. Gerard viii be al
| lowed to work it out more exhaustively
:, than he has been able TO do as yet.
| one OF the last notions, hear, is to pro-
vide automobile cycles to carry light
machine guns OF the Maxim or Hotchkiss
| pattern Bot L have not heard that this
! design has been actually tried. 1t is
obvious, however, thatthe mechanical tTac-
tion must, In course OF time, he adapted 10
military purposes, and for the purpose of
transporting artillery at a rapid rate it
would have some very obvious advantages
over traction by horses, bullocks, or ele-
phants. As to the idea put forth by NJ.
| de Kerohaut and other writers, that the
! cycle can ever take the place OF cavalry,
and become an "arm of the future it is
| dangerous delusion, or rather would
be so il it were possible to imagine any
minister Of war SO demented as to organize
| a cyclist army corps. As an auxiliary
| branch of the accommodating service of
the intelligence department in the field,
-a1y to I< of mn for
| vice. But as fighting unit the claim
| mt forth on behalf OF the cyclists does noJ
| seem consistent with the grinding pTin-
ciple of warfare-common sense.-London
| Standard
The Monkey Convention.
| The word was passed in the jungle, where
| the long lianas sway,