The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-09-04
MODERN WAR TROUBLES.
Statistics show the AMMUNITION
Could Not Pc Carried.

From the New York World.
Sir Godfrey and Sir Reginald of Bra
bant were bitter enemies. and meeting on
the road. laid lance in rest against each
other. 1t befel that in the first close both
were endorsed but neither hurt. Now,
these knights wore mighty armor, so
heavy, indeed. that they could not rise
from the ground so they lay near each
other, cursing bitterly until their squires
put them on their legs again.-Child's
Foissart.
The modern army is muc!i in the posi-
ton of the knights of F'O ssart's time.
They were loaded down with armor; it is
hampered by its enormous ammunition
trains, made necessary by the magazine
rifles The knight did not dare desert the
solid ground of the high road; the army
of to-day cannot leave the railroad to
strike across country, for it cannot carry
with it sufficient ammunition. let alone
supplies. Even a superficial analysis OF
modern military conditions will convince
the observer that the modern army, as
an instrument of war. will prove but
clumsy tool.
In view of the numbers of men, either
under arms or ready at call in Europe, it
is reasonable to expect that armies of
100000 or more men each, would face each
other should war break out between two
ditions, not more than half of each army
would be actively engaged, say, 100000 on
each side-200.000 in all. This number in
| struggle lasting two days would proba-
| bly, be SO shifted in and out of action, and
| lessened by death, deserton and wounds,
| that the average of steady firing for each
man of the original number would not be
more than four hours. Magazine rifles,
such as the Lebel of France; Mannlicher
of Germany and Austria; the Lee-Aetford
! of England and the Krag-Jorgensen of the
| United States, can be fired at the rate
] of thirty shots a minute, but, allowing
| for the clumsness and nervousness of the
| soldiers, disabled guns, etc, ten shots a
minute in battle is all that military eX-
perts look for. Thus, with 100000 men en-
| gagged, 100000 cartridges would be used
| every minute at a cost of $4,000! In two
; days fighting, assuming that the esti-
mate of four hours steady firing is cor
rect 4S0000,00O cartridges would be used.
| They would weigh 12,009 tons, and cost
| $14, 100000
! With each army there would be a a low
| estimate 300 of the new high-power, breech-
| loading cannon, which even in the stress
of brisk artillery duel can be fired three
| times a minute. Assuming that artillery
1 will be as much used as infantry, four
hours continuous firing would exhaust
| 4,320000 rounds of ammunition weighing
1 1852 tons and costing $3,SSS000. The two
armies would consume in one pitched bat
\ tie 1852 tons of ammunition, costing ST.
! SS8,0O0 The cost, however is not the
4 greatest problem. How are these thou
n sands of tons of cartridges to be brought
h to the armies and distributed to the men?
1t is self-evident that if there is to be
war there must be invasion, unless two
/ armies are to take their stand each on its
\ own frontier and fire over the moundary
line. The invader is the war maker, and
the conditions which confront him are the
| conditions of war He must, of course,
take his ammunition with him, but how?
No general would dream of entering an
\ enemy's country with less than ten days
supply, which would weigh 5000 tons, and
| cost $S9, 100000.
If he can use the railroad Of the invaders
country, $50 freight cars would serve his
/ purpose, but as ne would undoubtedly find
| bridges blown zap and rails twisted or car
ried away. So as to make the road USE
| less, he would have to use wagons. OF
| these, even il they carried four tons each,
he would need 1880, which would reach
In straight line ninety miles and re-
quire 50,00D men at least as a guard, not
| to mentio A 10000 or so teamsters. helpers,
| ETC. NO army SO hampered could be eff
fective against an active enemy, even if
| it were feasible to use such a number of
| wagons or possible to provide forage for
| the 6j, 900 animals required to horse them.
| MARGARINE rifles use enormous quantities
| of ammunition; very well, the problem,
| then, is how to make your enemy exhaust
his While you keep your own supply re-
plerhshed. And this brings up another
problem. As 100 cartridges weigh about
| eli Sht pounds, it would not be feasible for
ulen to carry more than that number. Fiji
feen minutes firing exhausts the supply.
| 'Twenty-four times during a battle would
y the infantry need fresh ammunition and
the artillery even oftener How are they
to get it? 1t is the old story of the knight
smothered in his own armor.