The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1900-07-07
70 STUDY GERMAN
WAR METHODS.
Uncle Sans Army and Navy to
AdOpt the Best Features Of other
Countries. .

country, the tact that So.rs'~s,,I ~,
been appointed to make S,aA -,
nor,,anv nroyes cpficlusively that tney
40 not satisfied with the conoltion oL
things in our own army and that lney
ara In homes of being able TO overcolhe
these defects by study OF the German
army system. - 49,
oonnaien that is now being conducted
in the Philippines has opened the Eye
Of the military officials OF the Onl.eu
States to the fact that there - vas.
room for Improvement IN our own RI
tenn While we won battles and wnile
our soldIery. almost without exception.
distinguished itself for bravery, 1t cam
not be denied that the war found US
practically unprepared for such con-
tjngencv. and the mistakes that have
been so severely criticised were almost
entirely due to this fact.
To-day the war Is practically at an
end. and there Is no prospect OF anotrer
international misunderstanding put, IN
spite of this, 1t Is now evident tnat the
War Department has no intention OF
being caught mapping again. AS the
result this commission has been APP
pointed to study foreign methods, and
If they report upon any good features
In the systems that are followed abroad
these will undoubtedly be adopted for
the army in this country.
Although the existence Of this COM
mission has Just been announced, IT
was appointed several months ago, and
its chairman, DR.. John McG. WOOD
hurry. has nov. submitted his first re-
port, which gives the result OF his In.
yestigations of the medical Service OF
the German army. He reports that he
found the system a most thorough one
and indicates many points that may
well be considered by those who are In
charge Of this branch of our service.
one of the most important features
of difference between the two armies Is
10 be seen in the method of identif1ca-
lion OF the dead and wounded that ex-
lists in the German army. In the United
States army no man may be sure that
he will not occupy an unknown grave,
but with the German soldiers thls ~
different
Each man is supplied with descrip-
tive list. giving his name, l:s regiment
and the name and address of his next
friend. This list Is written upon strip
of parchment which is sewn inside the
pocket of his coat in such place that
it Is understandable except ty nre.
When men are killed or lie upon the
field unconscious from their wounds
there is no question as to their identity.
They are Immediately Identified by
glance at the parchment list, and the
record of fatalities can thus be made
more perfect than 1t could possibly be
in this country, where there is practi-
cally no system.
Another point in which the German
system is superior to our own accord
ing to Dr. Woodbury., is in the fact
that the officers of the medical depart
ment are completely relieved of all re-
sponsibilities other than those that are
made necessary by the care Of patients;
the medical official is a physician or
surgeon and nothing else.
In the German army there is no such
thing as a sick call" If an enlisted
man reports that he is Ill or otherwise
unfit for duty the fact is reported to
the first sergeant os his company. An
inspection is then held, and if the SER
geant thinks that the case Is of euffi-
cient Importance the man Is removed
TO the hospital, otherwise he is retained
in quarters until the medical officer
makes his round. The man Is then
marked as simply off duty.
In the German army all field hospi-
tails are regarded accurately as field
hospitals and never in the light of per-
manent hospitals, as is so often the
case with the United States army. In
the German army the field hospital is
just what it's name implies. 1t is an
entirely mobile unit and any case that
can by any possibility be removed Ia
sent back 10 the rear or to a base hos
pital within six hours.
When the line is in action the field
hospital advances with it and thus 1t
becomes what 1t was really intended to
Pc simply a resting place where in
1urles can be dressed and small opera
uons can be performed. In fact, the
present commission speaks in the high
est terms of the Germany system of
medical work, and the United States
Is advised to adopt several Of these
features in its own service.
For instance, DR. Woodbury. was par
ucularly we'll pleased with several of
the inventions that were new to him.
IN regard to one of them he said: II
must call attention to the new bakery
wagon that was tried this year for the
nrst time In active field maneuvers.
IL is wagon, with four wheels. ten
ieet long, drawn by four horses. the
BODY of which consists of a furnace
arranged for a wood fire. over which Is
corrugated sheet iron oven the heat
rom t Which is prevented from radiating
ny packing between the two skins
liofn powdered coral. This Is SO eff
clent that the outside of the oven viii
burning. "A'N'u'
N front is arranged a tank for fire
,b 'ils u water USED III the mixing Of
me dough, which mixing Is done IN a
following wagon, where the :oaves arc
SNAPPED. placed upon boards and nree
p id lor the over. The capacity Of
1hese ovens Is eighty leaves, bsked
ready for Issue every hour and hale
at a speed upon the chausee of IL
meier IN ten minutes.
The genera! effect of one NJ tho.o
wagons is that of an oval iron tan;r
sSsiNs upon us short diameter. q |
snoKestack at the forward l,-,ner 60
water tank III front, with ston ceo,1s,
Tor Drawing; firebox and doors at att,
enc below, and doors for oven abnva
rms mobile bead bakery hns 80
.Iieu win great success and annasr.
10 give most excellent results. Tha rs
iiHeu oven Is buried in sand, with a ca1
paeity OF ~" leaves every hour ana
t ~, put me necessity of transporta-
;,'s III ti's IAed oven to troops NOV
ing renders the oven upon whsaIs
matter worthy Of discussion"
No suggestion tnar has been mad
u woodbury. IN this report has causeS
more comment in army circles ~
washington than has this matter of
portable oven. This question ~ 80 y. q
vluing 1resh bread for the troops whe,
nv III camp was one Of the difficult
problems thet arsse to battle tba ~
parlment during the late war, and ~ e.
generally believed that the German nea 20
cia's nave at last found the wav a., tu ~
the trouble. way OUT OF
another point u which DR.. Wood
nury calls attention is the care dis
p thas by the German officials to see
1it alto 'he Spldlers are kept in good con-
~ When the army is in the fSeId
the forces remain hu. one dav ue neld