Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1905-08-04
Miseellaneuus Reading.
SoBRIETY IN WAR.

: SC'
SoBRIETY IN WAR.
Whisky Defeats the Soldiers Who Rely
Upon II.
| Among the lessons taught by the
war In the far orient there Is none
that has received a more striking DEM
onstration than that of the immense
value of sobriety in military and nava.
Operations. Russia has in this conflict
labored under many disadvantages
But 1t is doubtful whether there has
been any that has handicapped hel
more heavily than the drunkenness OF
particularly of her officers. Every
foreign newspaper correspondent or
the Russian side, even those whose
sympathies were wholly Muscovite
such as Col. Won Gaedke, formerly of the
German general staff and probably the
foremost military writer Of the present
day. has drawn well nigh incredible
pictures Of the prevalence Of this par
ticular vice among the foes Of Japan
and of appalling conditions arising
therefrom.
1t is known that the foreign officers
delegated to watch the operations In
Manchuria have made still more damn
Ing reports on the subject to their res
pective governments. creating so deep
an impression that the English Sec
retary Of state for war in the course
OF an address the other day declared
that the victories Of Japan were large
ly due to the sobriety Of her officers
and men, while the kaiser in a re-
markable speech to his officers at
S.rasburg, and Of which only garbled
reports have reached the public, gave
expression to much the same views
and Is said to have added that Russia 8
military and naval disasters were In a
great measure attributable to the in
Temperance Of her officers. And al
though Difference to Muscovite suscep-
tibilities and consideration for a strick-
en- neighbor have led to the issue of a
sort of official denial Of these refer
ences by the emperor to the least cred
liable causes Of Russia's defeat. yet
the notorious existence Of the evil
iustifies the belief that he gave to 1t
his unqualified condemnation.
Americans Keep Sober.
While Japan In her conflict with
Russia has illustrated and emphasized
the value of sobriety as a military and
naval asset in war. 1t is to the United
States and Great Britain that belongs
the credit of having been the first to
abandon those old time ideas that
drink improved the fighting qualities
of men.S In the Russian navy, as In
those Of nearly all the maritime pow
ers of continental Europe, the custom
still survives of doubling the rations
Of wine or spirits served out to crews
before going into action. Uncle Sam
has long since abolished the daily al
lowance of grog to the men OF the
navy, and strictly prohibits the use of
stimulants on board his ships when
they are at sea, while the British ad-
mira'ty as far back as 1897 issued the
most stringent orders to the command
ers Of all British men Of war In COM
mission that not a drop Of alcoholic
liquor. no matter whether spirit, wine.
or malt, should be allowed when there
was any fighting to be done. In order
to satisfy the thirst engendered by the
heat, exertion, and smoke inseparable
from q naval combat. supplies Of oat-
meal water for drinking are arranged
all over the ship. Japan not long af-
terward adopted the same rules with
regard to drink In her navy.
Drink Spoils Gunners' Aim.
This radical departure by the United
States. Great Britain and Japan from
he practice which still prevails in the
navies of other maritime powers Is rem
dered imperative by the extreme i'm
portance Of sighting with the utmost
degree Of exactitude the guns. upon
the precision of which the success or
every action at sea, or, for that matter
on land. nowadays depends. The mar
who does not drink is more cool and
collected, and therefore better able to
shoot with accuracy than any one
whose pulse Is in the least bit quicN-
ened by stimulant.
1t Is no longer fierceness, fury. and
reckless dash that are required Of the
officers and men, but calmness and
collectedpess. In naval engagements
there Is but little boarding to be done
In these days of ironclad warfare.
Vessels are no longer armed with tier
upon tier Of small guns, some OF the
men Of war of the early Victorian era
having had over 100 Of them. Modern
attleships and cruisers are equipped
with gigantic pieces, relatively few In
number, but carrying projectiles OF
colossal weight over a range of sew
eral miles, 1t Is no longer necessary
to pepper the hull Of man Of war full
of small cannon ball holes In order to
sink 1t. This can be achieved by a
single well directed shot from any one
of the great guns with which the war
ship Of the present day is armed.
Dewey's and Toso's Men Sober.
Everything depends, therefore, upon
the precision of the gunnery. and the
belligerent whose every shot carries
home is practically certain to win the
day. That constituted the extraordi-
nary success Of Admiral Dewey at Ma
Mia and Of the still more phenomenal
victories Of Admiral Togo In the pres
ent war. In the same way that every
American projectile found its billet In
the battle of Manila, annihilating the
Spanish fleet there with ridiculously
small injury to the United States
squadron. So was the huge armada or
Admiral Rojestvensky swept off the
face of the sea by the magnificent pre-
cision of the fire Of the Japanese,
whose ships sustained practically no
damage.
Togo's gunnners, like those of Dew