The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-05-09
MILES TALKS ON WAR
COMMANDER OF UNITED STATES
ARMY TELLS OF MODERN ARMS,

Next Conflict to BE ShOrt-ImpossibIe
TO say whether 1t Would BE on
Land or at sen-Many Old Battles
reviewed - Railroads, the TeIe-
graph and New COnst Defences
Have Materially Changed Active
warfare.
George Grantham Balm in the New York
Commercial Advertiser.
Nelson A Miles, general of the United |
States army, who is about to visit the
coat of war between Greece and Turkey
is one of the few military leaders of these
times who can take a dispassionate view
Of the European situation to-day
Russia has a war strength of 5000 900
men
Germanys possible strength is 4,142,oO0
Austria-Hungary could muster 2,5sl 600
men.
The British government can claim a
strength of $4,000 fighting men.
France can c9n out 100000 trained sol
diers in an emergency.
The Italia0 army in case of war would
include g. 1900 men.
In case the trouble between Greece and
Turkey should continue, all these millions
of Tossibe combatants may be drawn up
In cattle array. Their generals will be put
IN the severest tests commanders have
ever been obliged to undergo, since never
before were there such vast armies in
existence and ready for almost instant
mobilization And although the little
army of 5000 men of which Gen. Miles
Is commander can by no conceivable
chance be drawn into the vortex of war,
he has been watching the changing situa-
lion day by day with the keenest interest |
Yesterday he sat at his desk and discuss
ed the latest Developments at length.
"Do YOU believe the nations of Europe
If they come into conflict, will make that
conflict brief?" l asked
"Tndoubtedly. The next great war will
he short and sharp. There will never
again be a prolonged conflict like that
which Napolean l waged on the nations
of Europe In the first place, the armies
are all ready to fight. No time would be
needed for preparation. In the Franco.
grlssian war. you may remember, Ger
many began to move troops as soon as the
German minister withdrew from Paris. At
the beginning of our civil war, we lacked
not only troops but also the material of
war. We had to send abroad for guns ana
ammunition and for clothing. The armies
tof Europe are well supplied. They are pre-
pared to go into conflict on short notice
In the second place, Europe has now the
railroad and the telegraph, which were
not known in Napoleon's time. Troops
had TO move on foot and munitions to be |
carried in wagons a hundred years ago.
Dispatches then were sent by messengers. |
Now the telegraph carries dispatches as
quick as thought and troops and sup
plies are transported by railroad in n
fraction of the time once required, and
without fatigue.
"AlI the methods of war have changed
in a hundred years. We fought the war Of
the revolution with flintloek muskets, the
war Of 1872 with hintlocks, the Mexican
war with fintock and percussion muske5s
and the war of the rebellion with muzzle- |
leaders Now muZzle-loaders have practi-i |
cally disappeared
l asked Gen. Miles if he believed the |
next great conflict would be very bloody |
1T has been generally surmised," he
Il said, that the invention of the new en-
gines of war would make war impossible |
because Of the enormous sacrifice of life. |
Take the machine gun-the Calling and |
the Maxim gun, for example-it will fire |
from 400 to zoo shots minute. If you had |
400 men in front of a Maxim gun and the |
gun could be aimed right you would wipe |
out that force in one minute-or even a |
force of 700 men. 1t would seem that the |
carnage in modern warfare must be fear |
iul; but the contrary is true. AS improve
ments in weapons have been made, losses |
n on the field of battle have decreased. |
There never have been such losses as there |
we're before the invention of long range |
hghting implements. When the armies of |
hannibal or Caesar went into conflict with |
words and speares, the weaker of the |
offending forces was annihilated. Then |
ame warfare with bows and arrows; ar |
mes fought at longer range, and the |
laughter was less. With the invention of |
MISSILES at greater range men fought at |
NI greater distance, and the fatalities |
Aereased. In the Japanese-Chinese war |
hodern weapons were used by the Chinese |
nd the japanese lost only about $40 men |
Ahed-not enough to fill a large Now FORK |
aeater. The next great conflict will involve |
loss of money rather than men. One of |
pc big modern guns throws a ton of iron |
every shot; and powder and projectile |
ost $3.50.
Win the next great war be fought |
lefty on land or sea?"
The alliances made between the ma |
ons which are party to the war will |
Jermine that And no one can tell what |
ley will do. The French and English are |
Teditary enemies, yet they seem on the |
oSt friendly terms to-day. SO are the |
srmans and the French at times, In spite |
their past differences; and so, again, |
re the French or Germans and the Rus |
ans. But in general / would say that |
ERE is less likelihood of a successful at |
ck by sea than land. You know that In |
Srmean war they kept the French |
ma English off by sea, and they had to |
axe land attack. Modern coast de- |
hses are almost invincible. They consist |
three torces-first, the big guns; second, |
lortar batteries; third torpedoes. The |
lodern gun is mounted on a disappearing /
arrlage, which bring the gun and the men /
no are handling IL under protection when |
. not IN the act of being discharged. |
ne mortar may be behind a hedge or |
en a hlll. The men who are working IL /
nay never see the enemy. And yet they /
81 m pe SO directed, by telephone or tele- |
aph' that the great projectle can be |
ttaue 10 allght In a certain square. II |
liSs proJectile comes down on a ship It |
nl 20 right through the decks, the ma
nlnery and the hull. Torpedoes operated |
lection for a harbor.
MOST OF the countries OF Europe are /
81 prepared with coast defenses China |
Rr,s NOT; She had good defenses at Port |
,o..lS1r' out most OF her ports were unpro-
", ' S Japan first concentrated her navy |
., y. one part OF the Chinese navy and de- |
Nseu H. Then she blockaded the ports |
WHfH