The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-02-24

military States of time of peace would be
grouped and the four or five groups
| known as armies also of course, the
oretically, brought together under the d.
recting eye of the generaiissmo. In the
| case. at all events. of Germany unity of
direction is perfectly combined with de-
Capitalization and individual initiative.
| The mode in which a modern army on
the anticipation Of war prepares itself for
| the field is extraordinarily rapid in point
| of time as compared with the mode found
necessary in the time Of Napoleon Bona
| parte; and 1t is this rapidity of mobiliza-
| ton and concentration which strikes the
| observer as the greatest change or prog
| ress of the century in connection with
| armies But It is a mere consequence of
| railroads and telegraphs. and Is only the
application to military purposes of those
| increased facilities of locomotion which
| have played so great a part In the prog
| ress of the century. Mobilization is. of
course. the union at points fixed before
! hand of the men of the reserves who
bring the army up to its war footing. and
the clothing and equipment of these men
and the distribution to the modified
regiments of their full materials of war
The cavalry and horse artillery kept upon
the frontier are now In a condition of
permanent readiness in the principal mill
tary countries as they would be used to
cover the mobilization of the remainder
of the army. The moment mobilization is
accomplished concentration takes place
on the frontier in the case of the principal
Pow ers. Near the lire of concentration
are forts. which play a greater part in
the French scheme Of defence than they
do in the German. The French in the
days of their weakness. after $50 both
constructed a line of entrenched camps
and built kind OF wall of China along
the most exposed portion of their eastern
frontier; whereas the Germans are pre-
pared to rely upon their field armies, sup
ported by a few immense fortresses, such
as those ION their western frontier) of
Metz and Strasburg. The French keep in
front of their fOrtresses at Nancy strong
division which is virtually always on a
war footing, and both In France and Ger
many the frontier corps are at a higher
peace strength than those of the interior
and are meant to take the field at once so
as to help the cavalry and horse artillery
to protect the mobilization and concen-
tration of the remainder. and. if possible.
to disturb the mobilization and concentra-
ton of the foe. Those who would study
modern armies for themselves should visit
Nancy and Metz. but should not neglect
the Swiss annual maneuvres.
The work of the recruit of Germany and
pf vi h turn NJ. ri
three years training as the case may be-
is hard as any human work, and the
populations of the Continental countries
submit not on TIE whole unwillingly. from
patriotic motives to "a slavery of which
the more fortunate inhabitants of the
United Kingdom and Of the United
States have no conception. The
British or the Belgian paid recruit would
mutiny II forced to work as works the
virtually unpaid and ill-fed recruit Of Rus
STA. Germany. Austria. and France. The
enormous loss 10 many Industries which
is caused by the withdrawal of the men
at the age OF twenty. just when they are
most apt to become skilled workmen, Is
in the opinion OF some Germans compen-
stated for by the habit of discipline and
the moral tone of stiffness and endurance
which is communicated to the soldier for
the rest of his life. This is perhaps more
true Of the German character than it is of
the inhabitants of the other countries; and
in France, at least, the soldier training OF
the entire population is a heavy drawback
to industrial and to intellectual life There
are however, as will be seen in the con-
Guiding passage Of this article. other con-
siderations to be taken into account, some
of which tell the other way.
The one successful exception 20 the
prevailing military system of the day is
to be found in Switzerland. which has a
very cheap army of the militia type. but
one which Is, nevertheless, pronounced eff
ficient by the best judges. The nIobiliza-
ton of Switzerland In 1870 was more rapid
than that of either Germany or France,
and. great as are the strides that both
France and Germany have made in rapid
ity of organization and as regards num-
bers since 1870. the Swiss also have reor-
ganized their mobilization system since
that time and are still able at a much
less proportional cost to place in the field |
at least as large a proportional force as |
Germany and this force is believed to be I
1lAl'it4it. tLltil'Hhli nut ldIStlE pLOf!ueu
with cavalry.
The greatest change in the battlefields |
of the future as compared with those of a
few years ago will he found in the de-
velopment and increased strength Of the
artillery. \ modern army when it takes
up a position has miles of front almost /
entirely occupied with guns, and the guns
have to fire over the infantry, because
there is no room for such numbers of
guns 10 be used In any other way. The
side df both. indeed, in one
form or another do not attempt attack
will be chiefly occupied in obtaining posi-
tons on which to place its guns, and the
repeating rifle itself, deadly as is its fire,
cannot contend at ranges over loo yards
unless the rifiemen are heavily enueuched,
with the improved shrapnel fire Of mod
ern guns. The early engagemcnts Of a
war will. indeed be- engagements OF cav
airy massed upon the frontier ON the sec
ond day of mobilization, so rapid will the