The Washington weekly post., 1899-07-11

Or. Bircher, is quoted by I. Won Bloen
as saying that the proportion OF fn;sl -
wounds IN the use or the moi
ern rifles will be largely increased In the
recent var in Chill n was noticed that n
cases where the old weapon was used the
number of fatal wounds was - per cent
when the Manllcher small bore was used
the proportion was - per cent.
And what about the care 0f The wound
ed? Is adequate provision being made in
modern armies for the enormous multi
tudes OF the sick? NJ Won bloch Is clear
~ OF opinion that nothing IN any way
adequate has been attempted fhc science
OF surgery remains pretty much whore 1t
was twenty years ago and asainsS this Is
set the increased deadiiness of the new
weapons Rifles have increased IL efficacy
f0urteen-fold. cannon f0rty-foid. our au-
thor quotes high authority for his state
ment that II the medical Eervlce and am
bulsnee and medical corps are 20 render
really efficient service on the battlefield
their numerical strength must be vastly
increased. In the wars of the future IL
Will be far more difficult 70 reach the
wounded: il will be next 20 impossible 10
establish first help" stations. The MOD
ern projectiles carry so far that ambu
FIRE. and with the quiCkness OF FIRE which
will be the rule in the future the field
hospitals will be crowded to suftocation
tn an hour or 80. Even At Gravelotte
1000 wounded men were heaped together
in one village, where there we're only four
surgeons available. II this coaid happen
thirty years ago. how much more horri-
ole will be the Gravelotte OF the future?
"In the battles of the future tie field OF
action will be OF enormous area, and i'm
consequence the gathering OF the wound
ed will be rendered more difficult and
uncertain and will occupy more time than
formerly. and as future battles on q large
scale will certainly last longer, the wound
ed and dying may be obliged to remain
exposed for two or three days without
drop OF water or a morsel of bread"
Niilinas of Men Opposed.
II is appalling TO hear that in the event
of a war between the dual and Triple al
lance Is, 900 of men would &c set IN mo-
ton. Forty-five per cent. Of the effective
manhood in France would be called 10
arms and 81 per cert. OF that of Germany.
Basing his calculations on figures doubt
less supplied TO him in the Russian War
| Office, NJ. Won Bloch reckons that the
| daily expenses of the dual aliancV would
I amount 10 SIC, 10000 and the eXpssses OF
the triple alliance slO.250.0OO. He adds
| daily further charge of $:0oo,co9 for the
| families of reserve men. which wou,d
/ bring the daily cost Of this A-nlaSeddon
| to s2l, 800 coo. No nation on group OF na-
| tions could stand this drain on their re-
| sources, not to speak of the utter disioca-
| ton of trade and industry caused by mo-
/ bilization. NJ. Won Bloch is rot military
man; he Is political economist, a statls-
/ tician. and he is nowhere a greater au-
| thority than in pointing out the incaicu-
! liable economic ruin which the wax OF the
| future must inevitably bring.
He has one specific. which, If followed,
| will infallibly abolish war-an ;nternation
al court of arbitration The questions
which divide nation from ration at the
present time ere undoubtedly serious. In
their solution national honor and national
interests are involved. but NJ. Won Bloch
does not believe that the most burning OF
these questions presents difficulties which
cannot be settled in more rcasonaoie
manner by competent court OF arbltra-
tion than by resorting to war.