The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-03-06

and to inculcate the habits which must
govern those movements.
In field practice drill ceases, and
commanding officers must accustom
themselves to allow more Independence
of action to those under their com
mand, and educate all ranks to act
more on their own initiative
1T is better for a man during field
training TO do wrong thaR to do moth
ing; if he does wrong the error can be
pointed out, and he will know what to
do another time, While he will at any
rate, have shown that he appreciated
that some action was required from
him. If he does nothing he loses this
training
Besides this, no training can be so
bad for a man of action as to teach
him to do nothing until he is sure that
he knows exactly what to do.
Teach him first the duty of acting.
and then how to act in particular
cases.
Elsewhere in his statement he says:
THE artillery drill seemed excellent,
and the main object of drill-perfect
Steadiness under fre-was fully at
tanned. but too much of the drill was
brought into the field.
Instances occurred in which the ac-
ton of batteries was paralyzed by
waiting for orders from their brigade
division commander, and similarly the
action of guns while waiting for orders
Once the principles of drill are thor
oughly grasped every effort in field in
struction should be devoted to develop
ing the intelligence of, and giving prac-
tice in initiative, to subordinate com
manders.
THE phases of an action change so
quickly, and the important targets are
so often presented for so short time
that unless commanders of single guns
are allowed and encouraged to act on
fQ NTFay~.l n 10
tunities will often be missed.
Initiative must be encouraged. but
effective supervision must be main
tanned. This result can only be OBJ
tanned by careful individual training.
The main lesson in South Africa ap-
pears to have been that infantry can
successfully attack almost any position
provided the attention of it's defenders
can be absorbed by fire directed by
bodies of troops other than those en-
gagged in the actual assault.
The best method of arriving at this
end is by the cooperation of the two
or the three arms. but If if cannot be
secured, a second body of infantry or
machine guns should be employed in a
favorable position to pump lead upon
the enemy While the attacking troops
are advancing to the assault; in fact
position must be attacked by a COM
blned movement, rather than by a sin
gle movement
perative than ever that commanders
whose units are not seriously engaged
should watch carefully the movements
OF those that are fighting, with a view
to giving them assistance if necessary
g g g
THE early instruction of our cavalry
in scouting leaves little to be desired
but officers and men want more in
struction in the application of drill to
neid conditions. More time should
also be given to teaching officers and
men the difference in tactics that is
required to obtain the fullest effect
from the different weapons with which
they are armed.
Staff officers should accustom them
selves to be out of their offices as
much as possible, and to watch the-
training of the several units, and re-
port to their generals any observations
that may occur to them.
In war the most useful staff officer
is the one who is best practiced IN
finding out information for his general.
IN knowing what to do when away
from him, and what information TO
take back to him.
STAFF officers should be trained in
writing minutes. A really we'll written
minute, containing exactly the right in
formation, is a valuable document. A
long letter may contain the same in
formation, but not be so valuable
General officers commanding should
do ali in their power to impress upon
officers the necessity of sending in
Well-Wrftten, clearly expressed, and
concise reports.
Reports which are unreadable from
bad writing, contain a mass of ire
levant matter, or fail to give the
information required, are useless