The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-07-10
nrN.DUM BULLET ETHICS.
.,orIYD TURNING OUT MILLIONS
EN M KILLING PROJRCTILES

-. AuthnTttlfh i lN"N Nbo VNU1aA Va SAAS
#u ,.s snyages, when woundinG sunless
~s civilized soldiers-France's Royal
rI,or-The Kaiser to Visit Holy Land.
rovnoS, July "A question OF wal ethics OF
.,rooial interest to America as n belligerent
.0rer has been discussed by European mill
and political authorities for some months.
\ amounts In effect to this: Should II be the
~ w. ~ ccmbatants in modern warfare to kill or
Harslv 10 wound the enemy3 And the answer
I..ms TO be, according to English authority.
49,. ~ u the enemy he a savage or semi barbarian
~ should kill him. while II he is a civilized
~ will suffice to wound him. The British
T.r Oface has lust adopted tho Dum-Dum or
"sr.kirlinR bullet, which will be used for the
A., time in the campaign against Khartoum
next month.
minis statement should be allowedt to go with
-, .,nlanatInn, there would arise q chorus Of
criticism and dcnunciation, based upon humans
,,yion and religious grounds. 1t seemed primo
S,r, TO be q deliberate decision to sacrifice
human lie wantonly and in cold blood, pro-
vtded only that the victims be Of a low order OF
,sce and Intelligence. As a matter Of fact, It Is
rothinr of the kind. On the contrary. It Is
ncthing more or less than q confession Of the
sperior courage aud physical endurance Of
,,rOge and barbarian foes above the civilized
aoldier in modern armies. In other words, 1t
has been overwhelmingly demonstrated that
Wounds which will put European soldiers al
most instantly hors de combat. will scarcely
diminish the fighting efficiency. for the time
al least, Of a Dervish or an Afridi or other bar
harlan warrior. Men have been known TO go
m Nghting. in the recent Indian campaign. for
instance. after they had been pierced by as
mapy as half a dozen Lee-Mctford bullets. Tho
Iii -. lnO- ~ ~ NHotnnNtln p1uv
almost universally adopted by European mill
tary authorities, inflicts q wound which Is
comparatively trining unless IL penetrates q
vital part. 1t does not lacerate. and the shock
Il produces is far less than that Of a slower mis-
t..
1t became necessary to provide British troops
in the small wars In which they are often en-
Raged with a man-killing or at least o man.
stopping weapon. There has been a good dea
OF criticism and cynical CONNER by Continen-
tl authorities with regard to British action in
the matter, because. as is we'll known. Great
Britain has been prominent in the efforts Of
the past half century to minimize as far
ss possible by international agreement the
horrors and unnecessary c~ruelties OF war.
The British War Office has been trying to
fnd a missile which Is neither so terrible in It's
work as that which tore to pieces, as by an ex-
plosiOn. the first American victims Of Spanish
guns in Cuba. nor so Intellectual as the modern
high velocity. small-calibre bullet which.
though it pierces. may not disable a combatant.
The Dum-Dum bullet, which has been selected.
isnot explosive, as French critics have alleged,
Neither does II mushroom to anything like the
extent Of the old Enfield. which is still used in
tiger and elephant shooting.
This new service bullet Is OF the same dame
ter. .303. as the ordinary Lee-Metford, Of the
same length, an inch and one-ffth. and of the
same weight, 2l5 grains. The case is Of nickel
the base only being filled with lead. The conf.
cal end is left empty. and when it strikes II
burrs, opens backward. spreads TO some extent,
making. Of course. a larger wound. and proba-
bly, so checking it's speed that. unless fired at
short range. it will lodge in the body. The
cartridge is loaded with cordite. and the entire
weight is scarcely more than half that of the
old Martini Henry. so that the soldier can easily
carry twice the former number Of rounds.
Woolwich Arsenal is at work day and nigh
turning Il 1.-THE new projectiles at the rate o
2OOO.OUO rounds a week, and a private firm hal
received an order for 100000 rounds. to b
delivered as early as possible. These number
Indicate that the Government will not limit TIN
use OF the new bullet to the pending campaign
in 1.-THE Soudan. The new cartridges are avail
able for all the service rifles and machine gun,
In the British Army.
A highly interesting discussion OF moderI
small arms took place on Thursday at the
Royal United Service Institute, when Col
Lockycr, Chief Inspector Of Small Arms, anC
Lord Charles Beresford were among tht
Speakers. Col. Lockyor surprised some O
his auditors by advocating the carbinC
as the general weapon for all services
instead Of the rife. 1t was without doubt l
more difficult weapon to make absolutely &c,
cIrate target practice with. he said, but Their,
was little bullseye shooting in the service
lie did not like the present sword-bayonet. anC
when unllxed 1t was well-nigh useless as al
offensive weapon. He proposed for use. In con
junction with the carbine. the old Martini
Henry triangular bayonet. with a cross hilt
The carbinc would be some two pounds lighte
than the rife and eight inches shorter.
Discussing the merits OF different kinds O
bullets. Col. Lockyer said that those used In tn
Binder rife We're very formidable. The heat
was hollow, and, on striking flesh. opened on;
INJECTING a most CHASTITY wound. Its stopping
power was lndoubted. although he never hear
any questions raised about II. as there wer
ABOUT the Dum-Dum variety. The service bull
ietl use M othc present had not given com
llete satisfaction, as 1t was somewhat lackin
In stopping power. A lard bullet. travellIn
win great velocity. had great penetra
u"n' but that very quality prevented
from giving a great shock unless
struck a large bone or pierced tn
heart or brain, There was no diflcult
IN making n stopping bullet for the present sci
wee rifle. though it was rather difficult to do 6
Without interfering with Its accuracy. The chit
uWculty lay in the amount OF stopping powe
allowable in European warfare. What wa
wanted was n bullet which would stop the enem
Jul would not hurt him too much. He also In
~ihed that the Afridis. Dervishes. Zulus, an
suCh like, who required a good deal OF stopping
sd hof know much about the Declaration
o" Petersburg, while a European soldier WI
=" a plain unadulterated 1903 bullet throuR
MN would fancy he had earned his days pa
and take a rest. o.
LFi Charles Beresford. who summed up u
uf'ht", was not inclined to admit the superio
Wy OF the rarblne over the rifle. 1t was an az
,ah,ag" In n rush, for instance. to have a pen
nna''ng bullet which would go through four
He men in succession. What was wanted W,
SOU shooting, and the best Weapons would
aN""Ss without that. Any oflcer would rath,