The times., 1898-08-10
USELESS ARMS.
NO Wounds From Reviewers, Swords
and Rayenefs

New York, Aug. 9-Theodore Roosevelt,
according TO staff correspondent of the
Tribune. at Santiago, killed Spaniard
Juan hill on July l. This" says the
correspondent. is apparently the only
case in which that weapon was used with
effect by either side in the whole cam
paign. Nearly all the officers in both
mics, or, rather three armies. to include
the Cubans, carried swords or machate5.
yet there does not seem 10 have been a
single wound inflicted with one of these.
Thirdly, all the infantry carried bayonets.
but it is believed that not a hurt made
with one of these was dressed in any hos
pital, American or Spanish. These three
arms were carried by the thousands; taey
cost a great deal of money: with the ana
munition of the revolver they involved
the transportation of tens of thousands
of pounds of weight. and nowadays, eS-
pecialIy in a tropical legion, the great
object is to burden the soldier with as
little baggage as possible The question
asks itself. Why are they borne? Ger
tainly. the primary object of all three
is TO wound and to kill If in an entire
campaign in which several thousand men
were injured more or less severely, he
revolver, sword and bayonet cid virtual
ly no execution whatever. ought they 70
continue part of the military equipments
in actual warfare?
AS for the revolver, there are not lack
ing officers who think that on the whole.
II is almost as much of an incuTlbrance
as a use II is we'll enough in a miiisary
uost. and carries a certain weight of au-
thority, Just as the sword does Per
hans no man, except of high rank, would
want to go into the enemy's country en-
.ireiy unarmed. He might. be sent on
some duty at night, or encounter a stray
soldier of the other side in the daytime.
Tue emergency would probably never
arise. but the feeling Of security given
by a good, big pistol would be worth all
the trouble of carrying it.
In the fighting around Santiago Off
GERS were conspicuous leading their men
in charges. But, as one of them ex-
| messed it, If a commissioned soldier had
time to fire a weapon he was neglecting
his duty of observing and commanding
his men. The charge in which Col.
Roosevelt took part was exceptional in
lie way in which the men of the differ
ent regiments were mixed up, and in the
| nearness of a few of the Spaniards Any
thing like a hand-to-hand conflict is ex-
tremely unlikely in a ba,tle in which
| both sides use modern rifles. Their range
| is measured in miles. From 500 yards;
down their accuracy in the hands of
| skilled marksmen is frightful. They can
be aimed and fired six eight times a
| minute. The. zone of fire is so large that
| the victory is virtually decided before a
revolver could be used with accuracy
In the charges at FL Caney and San
| Juan, the fighting continued until the two
| sides were close together. although many
| Spaniards had managed TO escape In
| The thrilling charge up the hill on the
rife pits and stone fort of Ell Caney the
| enemy's fire. except from the hills be-
! yond, slacl1ened when the final dash was
| begun. The execution of the American
weapons was so awful that the Spaniards
feared to show even enough of their bod