The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-12-25
MODERN GUNS AS pEAcEMAKERs

The rapid-fire and machine guns of DIR.
Gatiing and others have been called ''peace-
makers" because, it was predicted. thew
would with their continuous stream of
fire and metal make war so terrible that
no nation would dare to engage in 1t.
There are in service to-day machine guns
capable of discharging several hundred
projectiles minute with an effective
range of more than a mile; and the regular
small-arms of the troops of the leading
Powers--Krag, Mauser, Mannlicher. Lebel.
Murata, Lee-Metford and others-are
magazine rifles of exceedingly quick ac-
ton and exceptional power for long dis
tances There is not one of them, proba-
bly,, but will deliver five shots a minute
and kill at the distance OF two miles, and
with which accurate shooting may be done
at one mile.
But, whatever the predictions may have
been, and whatever may be the POSSIBLE
ties of the modern guns under the most
favorable circumstances, wars have no.
become more terrible with them. nor
have the casualty lists become longer than
were those of the days when machine guns,
smokeless powder and nickel-cased bull
lets were unknown. We have now seen at
least two conflicts with modern arms-the
Spanish-American war, and the Boer-Eng-
lish war-and the casualties of the en-
gagements do not begin to compare with
those of the War of Secession; this. of
course is bearing in mind that we have
not yet received complete reports from
the actions in South Africa. Enough re-
specting the latter, however, has been re-
ceived to show that in no fight yet report
ed have there been losses of anything Ike
those of the troops in the great American
war of thirty-odd years ago. Some of
the regiments engaged at Gettysburg
and Antietam, as a matter of fact. lost
more than so per cent. of the men in the
Fight Some companies came out of tie
battle with one man where they had car
ried in four. Decimaiing battles. such a.
The British have apparently fought in
their present campaign in South Africa.
were regarded as being hardly out of The
ordinary by both Federals and Confeder-
ates in the days of the sixties.
The personal equation may account
largely for the size of the casualty lists.
in the fighting around Santiago last year
and in the Philippine fighting of the pres
ent year, many of the American troops
were armed with the old fashioned SPRING
field rifles, while their antagonists had
Mausers, with smokeless ammunition
Nevertheless the Spaniards in Cuba aud
the Filpinos in the Philippines suffered
greater losses than the Americans with
their short range and smoke producing
guns. The intrepid bravery and dash of
the Americans more than counterbalanced
the advantage of the enemy's armament.
Whether this personal consideration holds
good as TO the South African war. how
ever, may be question. The British are
PROFESSIONALLY cool brave and intelligent.
and the same may be said of the Beers;
and Furthermore. the latter have the repu-
tation of being among the best rife shots
in the world Both antagonists. too, are
wen drilled in the use of the rapid-hre
guns which are figuring so largely in their
engsg ements. 1t would appear. therefor.
that the real explanation Of the fact thar
the casualty lists have not been larger is
10 be found in the circumstance that while
improvements have been going forward in
offensive devices, corresponding progress
has been made In defensive devices. The
old contest which Is more strikingiy Illus
trated Ia the navy, Of offense er guns
against defense or armor plate. has
been going on as wen In the land forces
With honors about even and The status :
rot freaty changed from that o,
half century ago. Ana 20 long
40 onense and defense keep 70 neary