The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1900-07-29


49, Gfd'N attendant upon haste.
! have fr'qu'Itly observed that the Eoer
nm M, is i"aI!irst wh'n it IL si"wcst, and
4 h"sI IN. me i - all times remarkably.
| ard when Khaki line Is rapidly adyun-
| eng. it'lt1iiuCly slow Yet ia. braV-st
! u".ps Gn'il before It, II Is, the range that
! Raer rife fire Is deadly nj any range
Nila'n q" yards. and cifectiv. AT 100
: ihfdS Extended rang" of r.hr fire has
| mac" II Practically impossible 70 carry amy
/ T'1l-i'i,nird position hy rushing 1t. Tn"
aaNan'" must L.. slow. and the troops must
! u" brought 10 within rushing distance in
! small bodies and extended formation. Even
when such tactics are most sklllfully utII-
80 h'u''S are rather "a favor of failure
| DAY. ~ ''''' 3 j. an ''''f'SS'''ii's To-
The value ~ the magazine rifle and It's
! cHtrt nav" been "vrrcstmatcd. From what
nave sen - ii"rr rid" fire | am certain
thar - would has, done - much execution
Ahd IN. "uFEhrfS employed Siuele-iira guns
Oi equal range and accuracy Z. th.. N.1Isar
: 'n"' "oi''r-r"iiN.Iv slow and acCura q
r''!- H'' l- 90. rrr'r- e. .....
"'. 600 ''rt' .-ii.-ls ...it - Ii.,~,.
10 TIE lace 81 the lesson - this war b..
''i''''n EiEp. e quick firing IN. - not
s"'h necessity t- SHuu, military experts
M"".I nav" a~ believe. and Governments
r''7E NOT Dee "a "a hgrrs tu enlarge the mag
sZ.u"~ ana acrrirTat. the fire 4 the w-ap-
UlS NOW IN Use. E.fri. this w4r | MAS in
guned 10 regard the Mau~,r superior To- thu
htae -J"is"ts''il. solely h.caus.. IN. use II
a clir ptrmiitri the re- hargiug Of tn. mag
acme much more rapidly than when each
carthage has To D." introduced separately
am now sati-ti,! that the Mauser can
claim no superiority on tniS account as il.s.
I nii'd states Army Ordnance Board very
wisely decided when II selected our gun.
lht Mag -J"is' Ilsen can Ice fired as rapidly
a. i Compatible with good mar ksmanshiI.,
ana good craftsmanship. not mer. rapidly
:. 81 HI., Is what causes execution, as bat
u,S are fought nowadays
With its greater strength and durability
nttttF temperament ana adjustment Of
IaIts. closer accuracy of sighting and nu-
straight shooting. the improved krag-Jor-
stnsrh Is Today probably the best army
IRE IN Use. The lat, Commant.ant General
JpnoeFt expressed his opinion to this effect
10 me only few days before his death. and
regretted that the purchase absolutely of
en- 81, r1'e,it rights to the sun by the United
Stdles Government prevented the Beers
from securing more Of them
III VIII be conceded. I think. that a Boer
Is Is. lua. ra to judge rife; The few hun
Would not exchange them for Mausers ar
L',TrIAtuords on any consideration.
All men who have observed troops In hat
tie must have noticed that n certain f,Ir
ried percentage. having once set their
cIsmas TO IRE At an enemy. will forget to
change them. although in the course of tile
engagement the intervening distarce may
be subject to infinite variations. In most
at ,.les the firlng ranges are determined by
orlcers. who give them TO the men This
creates an opportunity for wide difference
OF opinion ana consequent error which low
r rn, me general average Of the firing TO say
70
INJURY or death liability which greatly eyD
ceeGs that of the private soldier
t,edriE. TO intrust this important duty 10
such a precarfouS tenure is TO build effect
iveness of fire upon a rotten fnundatior
Every soldier should be his own ranga
n n's II Is so with the Beers. and their
ture OF their method -' AVA
,,, IN ms matter the Americans. in their
hhi.,taiy Organization. have decidedly the
peter OF European and English systarns
I,eiberateness of fire tends 10 lessen thnSc
chances that make for inaccuracv RE
y, "a. reason behind the fact that the Amer
iSan SoId.er has to pause TO get every single
cartridge out of his belt. Beers 10 nj
meed these artificial checks upon hast
I nneir natural phiegm answers as a salutary
This war seems to have proved that -,
st1W. careful aim fire checks an eneny's
Of ,r.tia i t suler than an ill-directed fire
troops rushed TO the attack. as tba,,
l formerly did. in closed lines of battle Jnd.r
Con-, ''a Inns ahces, volume of fire would
STAY its thousands. e' "ou'o
r- but n9wadays troops do not advance tina,
Wy. They come by quick, short r,,Sbas 10 a.
very extended order, continuaIIv dror,nis, IA
~ oFe ground and always taking adyanfspe
ot ,ne shshtest cover. Most men are CON-
ampIe of I'M Mhen sustained by the ex-
as tba VI nun hunters. to rush forward as Ing
IT, ny reel that they are merely takin,
It i is wb1yy chances of battle.
bui!et after bullet whizzing in cIns., 49, VI
unity as II searching for him particuiariX.
, Ven ms nat or helmet is perforated n h.,
est eyno peep oyer his cover, and the slight
- eAposuie OF his person brings a deadly
messenger shrieking for his life: when "a
ne hears the order for a short rush he
ieets sure that the Particular rncL Nv al,
heap that shelters him is coverod u"t
rlne IN the hands of marksman. which
VIII loose a ping ping the momen, ba
nn,nsbo when' AFTER every rush. he misses a
.iutnoer OF his nearby comrades, or sees
them sprawling in the agony of death or
saspins with the pain of a wound: when
n,r kaS"T b, mat ne Is being watched and
sidushter-then is the realization of his
danger brought home TO his soul and his
courage Is sapped.
This Is the kind of fire that takes heart
out OF the bravest troops. have frequently
seen BRUSH regulars waver and break nm
ler hre SO titfgl and scattering that 1t
seemed mere skirmish rather than resist
ance TO an assault in force.
On the general proposition / am certain
mat war is not more dangerous or horrible |
ihan formerly. Ii is dangerous enough.
though. and horrible enough as II is
N closing. VIII venture one prediction
although Predictions are apt to prove boom |
efangs. This Will be the last khaki war
Khaki is an exploded fallacy SO far as its |
ma sinary immunity from conspicuity goes.
In this war the British have carried the |
Khaki idea To extreme lengths Everything
Tommy Atkins carries IL khaked even To
he Highlanders' kits. The very cannon |
md transport wagons are painted the same
'ull yellow And to what purpose? None.
| can conceive no better mark than a /
colder makes when contrasted |
against the green background of the veldt
md kopjes. The Beers jocularly say that
Ihaki makes Tommy the color of an ante
ope. And was more wretched headgear
han those British helmets ever conceived? |
They are doubtless all right for keeping the
un off. but they are easily ruined by wet |
md they certainly make shining mark of |
'oor Tommy.
He can sometimes manage TO conceal his
esplendent body. but that helmet refuses |
o he hid. The gray felt hat and blue-gray |
ar make the best all-around service uni |
orm l have ever seen. Change the blue
annel shirt to gray. and il will be per-
ect The material Of this costume can |
asilv be varied TO suit different climates. |
THOMAS +. WILLARD. |