New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-09-04

Fellow Voil,1 nr octave pp. XIV CO.. G. p.
Putnams SONS
The question whether cavalry Will DE OF use
:. ,,e wars Of the future Is ar open one and
,.,v disputed Modern experience since 'he
-, improvements in artillery and small hre-
.-,s &c not conclusive, but II tends to prove
g., between bodies Of troops fairly equal the
.,a,ge over open ground is a thing of the past.
~ ,rfantrv can only move IN battle by sudden
"a ,,rtive rushes what Is TO become or cav
- .be only value of which lies in the I'M
-.,ns eained BY run for considerable CO.
go IN f,D view Of an enemy? OF course, this
t.c,;cal question has nothing TO do with The
t-atecic use OF the horse for reconnaissance
.,a FOR getting a body OF rhemen quickly TO
=. required spot 1t has reference only 10 those
,rlenaid movements Of which. under conditions
tba, no longer exist the Numidian horsemeh
n Hannibal the tempestuous Parthlan DOW
mon the steel-burdened knights OF Simon de
vortfort al Muret the SWedes at LutZen, Crom-
xsrrs division at Marston Moor the French at
Waterloo and the troopers Of Jackson or Sherl-
dan in Virginia were capable. MI oman s
book casts a distant light on this question, for
II covers the whole period in which the horse
man held the supremacy in Europe, besides
bringing this period In sharp contrast with the
hand-to-hand fighting characteristic Of the best
Roman times and the increasing practice oil
missile warfare in the modern centuries
The Romans as conquerors depended almost
entirely on their foot soldiers, whose only
missile was short heavy javelin. lost at
sngle throw, their dependence from the first
charge 10 the end Of the battle being the short
heavy sword used In the disorder which the
shower OF javelins was sure 10 produce in the
nemy's ranks But after the empire had ex-
banded on all sides 10 its practicable limits, the
defence Of the frontier raised a new class OF
problems Against marauding bands Of robbers
from over the border. the disciplined legionary
vas no more effective than were the subjugated
ribesmen Thus the latter crept into the army
FIRST a few. then by whole legions, until little
IL il was Roman except the name and form OF
its structure The common and easy way OF
talking about this is TO say that the Romans
aegenerated Mr.. Oman does not believe in this
cheap moralizing What happened was that
he outworks having been efficiently manned
By people who could be spared for the purpose
N those within had time TO develop the civilza-
hn OF Europe. Whenever this civilization was
threatened appropriate changes are at once
een 10 have taken place in military methods
he most significant change OF this KIND was
he rise Of cavalry and boWmen 10 prominence.
This was due 10 the Huns. The Romans mad
fought the lighthouse sQuadrons Of Asia under
clouds Of arrows for generations without a
telling OF inferiority. But when II was seen
TAI man Of military genius like Attila could
kletrate with these mounted bowmen TO 'he
very heart OF the empire. upsetting the whole
owl order which II had taken ages to arrange
nen there was a revision Of military customs
haste. All Western Europe, whether In the
Upre or out Of II, was stirred by Attila at
tack The terror Of the thing shivers In Ger
han epic and Morse legendary song, as well as
b the chronicles Of Rome. Ii revealed that
Solidarity Of Europe" much talked of now
md showed that Rome stood supreme as long
Is she did not by her power but by her sig
ifcance as the embodiment Of this Continental
nlidarity.
But the revision OF the old military system
vas not intentional First. the Gothic lancers
nde down the old infantry legions and efaced
ne ancient names Of the Roman corps from
history. The assassination OF Stilicho left the
world without general who could tram SOL
Gers in the Roman fashion. Infantry thence
n'lh were relegated TO garrlsOns ana 10 nght-
timed duty in battle and In foray through
nsest and mountain pass Then came the Hun
With his bow. and the imporialist trooper added
his equipment the weapon which his prede-
sssor had neglected. The old generals OF
nemer time who had fought the Parthians
you'd doubtless have gaZed with wonder on
Ue battle OF Chalons, where the infantry,
nased though IL was according TO ancient ira
Uaon was treated with contempt. and the fight
Vas won by heavy Gothic cavalry armed with
ons ances, who rode down and tampled TO
ea'h the mounted Hunnish archers. The story
vas wretchedly told by the chroniclers. One