Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1901-05-02

that whi.h your enemy carries. Com
illusions hastily drawn from the re-
suits arrived at under such conditions
are to be. accepted with caution, and
we shall do we'll to considerably cur
tail the estimates made as to the flu
ture by the sensation mongers.
More mischievous than anything
else, however, is the prominence which
has been given to the performances
OF the high explosive shells which
were for the first time tried in war last
autumn on the Nile. We have cause
for congratulation as to the results of
what may most probably be regarded
as an interesting experiment. Until
they had been thoroughly tested The
shells full of high explosives would or
would not do considerable dcstruc-
ton, but as to whether they could
safely be fired at all. Such shells may
easily prove more dangerous to friends
than foes, and should one explode pre-
maturely in the weapon firing it, the
disastrous effect would not end even
with the complete destruction of the
gun or howitzcr and the men in the
neighborhood. Not man, after such
catastrophe, would be got to handle
such ammunition With confidence.
The nerves of all in the battery using
it would be in state of tension, and
their own weapons would be held in
greater terror by the dctachments
than those of the enemy. 1t is some
thing, therefore, that no accident oc-
CURED, and it is also satisfactory to
find that the destructive effect of the
great shells among buildings is as con-
siderable as was expected.
Warfare of the Future.
But heavy pieces of ordnance and
weighty shells conveyed up a great
waterway in vessels, and landed on the
side of wide river, secure from at
tack, to lombard buildings on the
other side, by no means supply an il
lustration as to field warfare in the
future, or at least not one which we
can regard MS convincing. In an alb
normal situation they accomplish
what was expected from them, and de-
serve oil credit for doing so, but VIC
must none the less protest against the
misleading lessons which are offered
to the public by those who delight to
make capital out of the latest novelty.
We will do well to remember the pre-
dictions years ago as to Greek fire."
the vaunted prowess OF the mitrail-
leuse and the appalling anticipations
as to the Zalinski gun. Men, it is
fairly safe to prophesy, will not be
blown away in whole battalions in any
campaign of the immediate future.
While science on either side will neu-
tralize itself. nerve. pluck, courage, or
whatever it may be called, will turn
the scale, and he who i'll the future
forgets human nature when making
his calculations will be pedant
rather than general, and will fail as
ANONYMOUSLY in the most modern
battle as other pedants have failed in
the closely locked struggles of the
olden time.
What we know of the destructive
powers of modern weapons should
encourage us to foster and develop dis
cipline and careful training, just as in
the past the great leaders studied to
bring them to perfection. If the man
behind 1t can keep his head, the new
est gun and rifle will indeed be form
liable, but If no stout heart beats be-
hind the butt, bullets will skim aim-
lessly and innocuously into space.
and panic-striken herd with empty
pouches will be slaughtered by cool,
disciplined soldiers, just as Alexan-
der's well-drilled phalanx made havoc
among the Persians, Caesars legions
scattered the Gauls, or Iitchener's
we'll drilled battalions shot down the
brave dervishes.