The evening times., 1898-06-03
city or building, have in all ages been
almost Incompatible.

! American officers have been known to
] acknowledge that of their men. who are
as brave as any in the world. 20 per cent
would run away If they could. and in ev-
| cry army. even Engiand's which a man
| enters only of free will. there is certain
proportion who literally cannot overcome
their fears. They are stricken with a
sort of paralysis The proportion is prob
ably not high in any army, the majority
il in health. being able to do their duty.
and having intense motives to do it: but
neither is the proportion high of those
who literally feel no fear. There are such
men. who do not quite understand what
the emotion Is. as there are also some who
| have in extreme danger a sense of pleas
ure. which sometimes only quickens their
blood. but distinctly increases their INTEL
iectual force. This is said to have been
true of Gen. Picton. who. though a hard.
rough man. was an "angel when bullets
were about" and was unioubtedllDtru
of the first Lord Cough. who had a trick
highly disagreeable to his staff of seeking
points full of exposure to the enemy's
fire. The immense respect paid to such
men In all armies shows however that
they are exceptional. and on the whole.
the opinion of the first Sir Henry Have
lock is very nearly the truth.
The writer once had an opportunity
Victoria Cross of cross-questioning that
famous general on the subject. and never
forgot his reply. "In my experience" he
sa'd '-in any British regiment there are
always hundred men who would storm
the gates of hell. 500 who If they did II
would follow in. 100 who want to skulk
In the bitches. and about thirty who act
ually do skulk there or elsewhere
The averages should be higher in a con-
script army. but then. also. the discipline
Is more severe. Why discipline should
impart courage Is something of a mys-
terry. but there is no shadow of doubt that
1t does. and that a we,l-disciplined regi-
ment Is not only more obedient, but ac-
tually more Indifferent to danger, prob
ably because the continuous habit of self
suppression has positively diminished sell
nshness- The popular notion that sea-
soned troops are much Drawer than no.
vices. seems. however. to be unfounded.
They are more afraid Of giving way.
knowing better what a, hell upon earth
commences IL men begin running; but
Waterloo was won. in considerable meas
ure. by young soldiers. and Speicheren
was carried by regiments in which no
private had ever seen shot fired in an
ger. They were drilled youngsters, not
old soldiers. who tramped up that dread
ful hill. marching to death as II they were
executing an accustomed movement on
parade. Indeed. there are cynics who say
that the youngsters do best and that the
old soldiers know what is before them a
little too we'll; a gibe which Is disproved
by the almost invariably splendid conduct
of the non-commissioned officers. Edu-
cation. 1t may be suspected. makes little
difference in courage, for, though ON
GERS die in severe action In a number
out of proportion to that Of their men.
that is because their business Is leading
and they are conspicuous figures; but it
Is quite certain that courage can be ma
terially affected by ideas.