Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1905-05-12
THE TELEPHONE IN WAR.
How the Japanese Kept Their Armies
In Touch In Manehuria.

How the Japanese Kept Their Armies
In Touch In Manehuria.
Among the many things the Japa-
nese have done during the war which
they are now waging, and which have
attracted the, attention Of the world.
their use Of the telephone is one. When
the war first broke out. and while the
question of supremacy on the water
was undecided, they made good use
of wireless telegraphy, says the Elec-
trical Review. BY this means the
main fleet kept In touch with Its
scouts, and. indeed. in the f.
nal conclusive battle Of last August,
n which the Russian vessels left the
harbor to attack few apparently un-
supported Japanese vessels, the latter
called up the main Japanese feet,
then out Of sight, but in waiting, by
means of wireless telegraphy. On
land the Japanese have erected teie-
graph lines as they advanced. and
kept the government In Toxic In con-
slant communication with all Of the
armies and each army In touch with
the other.
But to keep the commander OF a
single army in constant touch with his
division commanders, the telephone
has been used. AS each advance was
made or trench was dug, connec-
tions were made with headquarters by
telephone. Thus, not only was all inn
portant information transmitted i'm
mediately to the commander, but the
fighting was directed from the latter
point by the same means. The COM
mander was able to direct the fire of
the guns and to order advances when
the proper time arrived. The tele-
phone in this service has taken the
place of the courier and does the work
better and more quickly. BY Its abil-
ity to communicate instantly with
many and widely separated points, not
only are the army's operations direct
ed more effectively, but one COM
mander Is enabled to control a larger
force than was possible under the old
system.
Take the last great battle as an ex'.
ample. Could Field Marshal Oyama
have directed the operations Of 100000
men, and have timed his strokes 80
exactly had he been forced to depend
upon orders carried by horse? How
could he have controlled a fighting
line a hundred miles long? Without
the telephone the operations would
have been carried on Nv number OF
generals, each acting cording to q
certain plan, but depending largely
upon his own judgment t,r what to
do and when to do 1t. That the fight
would have been carried on bravely
none can doubt. but the telephone CO.
ordinated the actions Of each division
and reduced the armies to one vast
machine. Nothing was left to chance;
every stroke was correctly timed. and
the commander in chief was at once
Informed Of It's result. Even the flying
columns were followed by the engi-
neering corps. and the result Of every
skirmish and the taking Of every vii
lage were known within a short time
at headquarters.
Besides making each Of the divis-
ions able to act with the others offen'
sively, the telephone enabled them t
act together for defence. AS soon a.
any point was threatened, this was
known at headquarters, and moving
orders could be issued to the mos
available reserves for support. Truly
the telephone has become one OF tht
most important factors In modern
warfare, and 1t Is one factor-if no
the only factor-which has acted tt
reduce the danger to the individual
The Japanese are brave enough, bu
unless we except their action In bat
tie, they make no sacrifice that is mo-
necessary. and, being practical, they
have used the telephone, not only fol
such purposes as require great speed
but at times when the risk to the mes
senger Is the chief consideration
There is no longer any necessity FOL
exposing couriers to the fire Of thu
enemy.