The times., 1899-10-08
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bullet will hit the mark. The power OF
modern rife fire is so great that, as he
thinks II Will gradually become impossi-
BILE for an attacking force to get near
enough to take a position, except by the
most cautious and deliberate advance
thoroughly protected by trenches. He also
touches upon the power of the modern
bullet TO penetrate trees and other objects
which have hitherto served protection
for the soldier.
He then brings out the two important
points OF his whole argument: first that
the experimental war of the future-the
conflict which will prove. once for all, the
impossibility of a continuance OF THIS
method of settling disputes-will be
trial OF economic strength; second, that 1t
will be test of national character. The
outcome of the final war viii, in short, de-
pend on the ability of each nation as a
whole 10 support the cost of prouaetea
and terrible campaign. and on the power
of the soldiers in the field to endure the
new conditions under which they hght
Instead of depending on multituclnous
variety of causes, the success OF cam
paign win be due to these two thfngs-not
to the formation OF the country, climatic
conditions. the personal bravery of sim
gle leader, or the numberlcss strategic
movements which have decided the fate OF
campaigns in the past We are coming,
according to NJ. Bloch. to new era in the
history of nations
The battle of the future will be con-
siderably more severe trial to the nerves
of the soldier than any battle Of the past.
I There will be less room for daredevil
bravery and the excitement of hand-to-
hand combat The latter, in fact, will be
practically eliminated from the equation
! Two things contribute TO this end-the
/ invention OF smokeless powder and the
I extreme long range OF the modern riile.
! The army which advances upon an en-
trenched position will be at an immense
disadvantage. The enemy will be able to
descry and pick off the attacking force
with almost absolute accuracy, and there
will be no way OF retaliation The bullet
will come like a bolt from the blue,
no report being heard owing to the dis
tance and no smoke betraying the source
! of the sudden messenger of death rms
I will be a severe test of GOODNESS and cour-
age. NJ. Bloch gives rather vivid de-
scription of the conditions under which
1 future armies will fight 1t is in part
! as follows:
Smoke3ess powder de1nolishes the screen be-
hind which for the last 400 years human beings
! have fought and died. All the past great bat
ties have been fought more or less IN the
! dark. After the battle is joined, friends and
! foes have been more or less lost TO slght IN
4 the clouds of dense smoke which hung heavy
over the whole battlefield. Now armies will no
/ longer fight in the dark. Every soldier IN the
ness the havoc which is being made in the
ranks by the shot and shell of the enemy. The
veil which gunpowder spread over the worst hor-
rors Of the battlefield has been withdrawn for
ever But that is not the only change Ii is diff
/ cult 10 overesiimate The increased strain upon
the nerve and morale Of an army under action by
| the fact that men viii fall killed and wounded
4 without any visible audible cause. In the old
| days the soldier saw The puff Of smoke. heard the
| roar Of the gun, and when the shell shot
| plowed its way through the ranks, he associated
cause and effect, and was TO certain extent pre-
J pared for II. In the warfare OF the future men
will simply fall and die without either seeing or
J hearing anything. Experience has proved
that the report Of rife win net carry more
/ than nine hundred yards. and y0ilerhring can
not be heard beyond a miie- But that brings Us
70 the question Of the increased range n the new
projectiics. An army march viii suddenly be-
come aware Of the comparative proximity OF the
foe by seeing Taea drop killed and wounded with
out any visible cause; and only after some
time VIII they be able 10 discover that
the invisible shafts Of death were sped from
line OF slaTpshooters lying invisible at
distance OF z mile or more. There will
be nothing along the whole line Of the horizon to
show from whence the Gezth-dealing missiles have
sped. Can you conceive OF anything more trying
] 10 human neryesg The artillerymen can
( serving their guns, by sharpshooters than was
possible when they were enveloped in cloud Of
smoke Of their own creation. Il is calculated that
one hundred shsTpshooters who would be quite
invisible at a range OF five hundred yards, would
put battery ont Of action in four minutes If they
could get within range Of one thousand yards.
AT miles range it might take one hundred men
half an hours shooting TO put a battery out Of
action. The most effective range for the sharp
shooter is about eight hundred PAGES. At this
range, while concealed behind bush i'm.
provised earthWork. good shot could pick of
the men OF any battery. or the officers, who could
Of ffsr onxe N zyiic
men resort The officers are compelled 10
expose themselves much more than the men under
their orders They have TO be up and about and
nicving. while the living in the shelter Of
the trenches This is so well recognized that
every continental army pays special attention 10
The training of sharpshooters, whose word Of com
mand Is that they should never waste a shot upon
anyone but officer Again and again
officers have said TO me that while they would
1 Of course do their duty If they were ordered to
the front they would take their place at the head
Of their men knowing that they would never re-
turn. 50 general is this conviction that you vii
find very little trace Of any war party among tbs
oficers IN Germany. They know too well whai
war would mean 20 them. But am not thinking
/ 50 much Of the fate OF the individuals as the re
suit which win inevitably follow when this masseC
million OF men found themselves deprived Of the
commanders.
This IS q very important point In th.
argument, and this is where the trial o
national character will come in. With thi
increased skill Of sharpshooters and tin
perfection of their weapons, it will be onl!
: a matter Of time when large part of eaci
army. as NJ Bloch shows, viii be seprivel
I / Of all It's officers Then each will be likely L
I degenerate into q mob. and the mob whiel
e contains a certain proportion of men abl
5 10 take command by sheer force OF charac
e ter VIII win the battle. There are sue
Q men, but they are rare; and there ar
l. | crowds Of men which will not easily be de
q rnoralized but they are the exception. A
4 Kipllng pointed out in his Drums Of th
IS Fore and Aft" the halfway men are seldor
o to be trusted. The ignorant man may be
Is reckless fighter. the educated and intelli
j. gent man may be determined and uncon
: querable soldier; but the man with ju:
> enough intelligence 10 make him under
10 stand what will happen 10 him II he stanc
Is his ground, and not enough training
y make him stand his ground In spite OF ths
"a apprehension. is not very good soldier ms
Y . teriaI The outcome OF this trial war
le the future viii depend largely upon II
"a constitutional bravery and the thoroughnei
is Of training possessed by the men of II
10 rank and ale.
l. Another important point made in tn
le connection is that the new conditions wi
o preclude effective hospital work Wounde
n men cannot be taken out OF the zone
= hre-the buIlet-swept space between Il
contending armies-without exposing Il
Red Cross men to certain death, and Il
consequence viii be that they may lie f
days where they fall. The horror of the
conditions viii have an effect upon Il
D. soldiers nerves. The slowness OF a can
4 paign in which advances can only be MAJ