The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-11-22
IAN HAMILTON ON WAR
GOVERNOR MUCH IMPRESSED WITH
ENGLIsHMAN's VIEWS.
Address I'm Army and Navy Journal
VIII BE Published for Benefit of
the National Guard.


Ward have been much impressed with the
remarks of Lieutenant General Sir Ian
Hamilton, before the British war commits
sion. regarding military affairs. the address
recently appearing in the Army and Navy
Journal. The Governor, feeling that Cen
eral Hamilton's views will be valuable to
every member Of the Indiana National
Guard. has directed that they be published
and circulated for the information and in
struction of the guard.
General Hamilton's remarks follow:
IF the experience of the South African
war can be taken as a guide, the big bat
TALON phase is now about to pass away,
and We are entering upon a period when
the efficiency OF an army VIII depend lar
more upon the moral and high training OF
the individuals who compose it than upon
the mere numbers of these individuals who
may be available. l believe that an army
composed OF individuals each so highly
trained as to be able to take full advantage
of the terrain. and of his wonderful modern
weapon, and each animated with moral
and trained to efficiency which will make
him capable of acting in battle on his own
initiative, will break through, scatter and
demolish less efficient opposing forces, even
If greatly superior in numbers.
Discipline there must be. but it must be
discipline a higher plane. 1t must be
the aim of the new discipline to make the
private soldier capable of keeping stead
lastly in mind for the whole of the day. or
even for several days, and striving with all
his might to carry out what he has been
told by a superior who is no longer present,
and who. for all he may know, is dead.
| Within mile of the enemy and in open
country 1t will no longer be possible for
the bridage major TO gallop UP TO the
colonel with a folded piece of paper pre-
scribing his next movement. Nor can the
colonel send his adjutant to tell the cap
tain TO change direction or reinforce.
| Within !, 900 yards of a hostile position the
captain can hardly hope any longer to IN
| fiuence the company as a whole by orders,
or even by personal example, and the idea
of swarmS of men surging forward by word
| of command to the assault of a position
| is one which we should do our best to en-
| courage among our potential enemies If
/ a battalion in open country can succeed in
getting within 500 yards of the enemy's de-
| fensive position they will have done all
| that they can do a collective body. The
men will be lying widely extended and
| pinned down to some small depression, or
| bits of cover, by streams of bullets passing
| just over them. AT some part of the line,
/ however, it is almost certain that brook,
1 or ditch, or imperceptible fold or ground
| will give some trifiing shelter TO further
| advance. Half a dozen private soldiers
/ may find themselves at this spot If they
possess sufficient training to recognize the
possibilities of their position. together with
| sufficient new discipline, initiative, and en-
/ thusiasm to take advantage of IL, they Will
creep on. They will be followed by others,
and If, as a result, the enemys line Is
penetrated, even by a few men, the power
| OF their modern armament will make their
| thanking fire so demoraliZing and effective
| that the position will either be abandoned
1 forthwith, or so much attention will be
concentrated on the intruders that an as
sault may become practicable all along the
| line. 1t will be evident that to do this the
| mind of each man must be imbued with
| firm conviction that the other men OF his
own rank, whom he does not see, and who
may be anywhere within the next few
miles, are also doing the same and trying
| to seize hold of every opportunity; in other
| words active discipline on the higher plane
really consists in an unalterable confidence
that II also exists in others, and that the
| individual is not risking his life Tor
nothing.
"All this means added importance to a
| de corps. That is, / believe, where the con-
script soldier will fail. Only imperfectly
acquainted with his officers and with his
| fellow-soldiers, he will tend at the first
difficulty to remain lying under cover, be-
| cause he has conviction that they are
| likely to do much more than he is doing,
| and is not imbued by the sense that he is
giving his comrades away by not doing
| more. 1t Is the magazine rifle, with its
| smokelesj powder, which is at the root OF
this startling and imminent change In both
| tactics which have endeavored shortly to
indicate. The modern firearm has been i'm
proved and perfected far more rapidly than
| the soldier. We want an army composed OF
men each of whom can be trusted to make
the fullest possible use or the finest and
most delicately- adjusted rifle that can be
| made. 1 have noticed feeling in our army
that improvements in armament cannot be
| carried further, because the private soldier
| would not be able to avail himself of such
| niceties This is indeed putting the cart
before the horse. and 1t should be clearly
| understood that the private soldier of the
future must be sufficiently educated to take
| every advantage of all that science can dc
for him. Dispersion, ,concealment and In
| telligent use of the ground are also essential
TO success for either attack or defense, and
this demands a high standard of individu-
atty. There is timid school OF theorists
who are eager to explain that the defense
Is more likely to be successful than the at
tack If attacks are. indeed, to be con-
Quoted as they are now on the continent OF
Europe or as they were until recently In
our own army, then this Is undoubtedly
true; but to my idea, under skillful lead
ing the attack has rather gained than lost
by the new conditions. There Is so much
more scope for maneuvers, and so much
more frontage of ground comes into the
sphere of operations, that Ii is almost al
ways possible. to take up flank and support
ing positions, from which a deadly fire car
be kept up on the enemy's line OF defense
whilst small bodies work their way close
scribed. The difficulties of estimating the
his fire will give great advantage TO a bolC
and vigorous general, who keeps on the
move and who is well served by his scouts
| and his patrols. The defense has then &c
extend its line, and the opportunities for
clever concentration to envelop one flank
or to break through in the center are large
ly increased
NJ rnr