The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-04-30
TELEPHONE AS
 JAPS ALLY
COMMANDER THUS KEPT IN CON- sTANT TOUCH WITH EACH CORPS.
Able to Direct Movements of Line of Battle Fully 100 Miles Long Not Necessary Now to Expose
 Courfex to Raklng Fire.


 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. By this means the main fleet kept in touch with It's scouts, and, indeed, in the final conclusive battle of last August, in which the Russian vessels left the harbor to attack few apparently un- supported Japanese vessels, the latter called up the main Japanese fleet. then out of sight, but in waiting, by means of wireless telegraphy.
 On land the Japanese have erected telegraph lines as they advanced and kept the government in Tokio in con- stant communication with all of the armies and each army in touch with the other.
 But to keep the commander of a sim gle army in constant touch with his division commanders the telephone has been used. As each advance was made pr trench was dug connections were made with headquarters by telephone.
 Take Place of Messenger.
 Thus not only was all important in- 
 the commander but fighting was di- rected from the latter point by the same means. The commander was able to direct the fire of the guns and to order advances when the proper time arrived The telephone in this service has taken the place of the courier and does the work better and more quick iy. By Its ability to communicate in- stantly with many and widely separ- ated points. not only are the armys operations directed more effectively but one commander is enabled to con- trol 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 so ex- actly had he been forced to depend upon orders carried by horse? How could he have controlled fighting line 100 miles long Without the telephone the operations would have been car ried on by a number of generals, each acting according to a certain plan, but depending largely upon his own judg- ment for what to do and when to do 1t.
 Commander Kept in Touch.
 That the fight would have been car ried on as bravely none can doubt. but the telephone co-ordinated the actions Sf each division and reduced the armies Go one vest machine. Nothing was left to chance; every strike was cor rectly timed, and the commander in chief was at once informed of it's re- suit. Even the flying columns were followed by the engineering corps and the result of every skirmish and the taking of every village were known within a short time at headquarters.
 Besides making each of the divisions able to act with the others extensively, the telephone enabled them to act to- gether for defense. As soon as any point was threatened this was known at headquarters and moving orders could be issued ito the most available Eeserves for support.
 Truly. the telephone has become one of the most important factors in mod ern warfare, and 1t Is one factor-if not the only factor-which has acted to reduce the danger to the individ- ual. The Japanese are brave enough, but, unless we except their action in battle, they make no sacrifice that is not necessary, and, being practical, they have used the telephone not only for such purposes as require great speed, but at times when the risk to the messenger Is the chief considera- tion. There Is no longer any necessity for exposing couriers to the fire of the enemy.