New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-06-11
SOBRIETY IN VAR.
Need for 1t Enforced by Recent
Experiences.

tarv and naval operations. Russia has III TINS
conflict labored under many disadvantages But
II is doubtful whether there has been any OF
them that has handicapped her more heaVny
than the drunkenness of her soldiers, of her
sailors and more particularly of her officers.
Every foreign newspaper correspondent on the
Russian side even those whose sympathies
were wholly Muscovite, such as Colonel Won
Csaedke, formerly of the German General Staff
and probably the foremost military writer of the
present day, has drawn welnigh incredible
pictures of the prevalence of this particular vice
among the foes of Japan. and of the appalling
conditions arising therefrom. 1t is known that
the foreign officers delegated to watch the op-
erations in Manchuria have made still more
damning reports on the subject to their respec-
tive governments, creating so deep an impress
sion that the English Secretary of State for War,
in the course of an address the other day, de-
clared that the victories of Japan were largely
due to the sobriety of her officers and men, while
the Kaiser, in a remarkable speech to his Off
GERS at Strasburg of which only garbled reports
have reached the public, gave expression II
much the same views and is said to have added
that Russia's military and naval disasters were
in a great measure attributable to the intem-
perance of her officers. And although Difference
to Muscovte SuSceptibilitieS and consideration
for a stricken neighbor have led to the issue
of sort of official denial of these references by
the Emperor to the least creditable of
Russia's defeat, yet the notorious existence of
the evil justifies the belief that he gave to it
his unqualified condemnation.
While Japan in her conflict with Russia has
illustrated and emphasized the value of sobriety
as military and naval asset in war, it is to the
United States and Great Britain that belongs
the credit of having been the first to abandon
hat J,pJ
lighting qualities of the men. In the Russian
navy, as in the navies of nearly all the maritime
powers of continental Europe the custom still
survives of doubling the rations of wine or spir-
It's served out to the crews before going into
action. Uncle Sam has long since abolished the
daily allowance of grog to the of his navy
and strictly prohibits the use of stmuants on
board his ships when they are at sea- while the
British Admiralty as far back as 1897 issued
the most stringent orders to the commanders
Of al British men-of-war in commission that not
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, exer-
ton and smoke inseparabe from a naval com,
bat. supplies of oatmeal water for drinking are
arranged all over the ship Japan not lone Of
terWard adopted the same rules with repard 70
drink in her navy
Inns raolcal departure by the United States
Great Britain and Japan from the practice
"hlch sui prevails in the navies of other mari
time powers is rendered imperative bv the ex
IRENE Importance of sighting with the utmost
ocgree of exactitude the guns upon the nre
ci'ioh OF Which the success of every action at
sea- or for the matter of that. on land nova
udSs depends. The man who does not drinl, is
more cool and collected and therefore bet+er
able to shoot with accuracy than ono whose
pulse is in the least bit quickened nv stinu1an+
! ii Is no longer ferceness fury and raoI1os.
uash mat are required of the officers and ,,o,
Out calnnesS and collectedness In ,,aro1 on
eagements there is little boarding to he done
IN these days of ironclad warfare vasso, go
no longer armed with tier UNION tier ne -,
guns-some Of the men-of-war of the eo,,,
victorian era had more than q b,naro5
Oh them Modern battleships and cruisers ~.
equipped with gigantic pieces relatively feu =;
number, but carrying projectfles of co,osso1
weight over range of several miles II !. -
longer necessary to pepper the hull of a man
of-war full of small cannon ball holes in order
to sink her. This be achieved bv q single
well directed shot from any one of the great
guns with which the warship of the present
day is armed.
Everything depends, therefore upon the pre-
cisfon of the gunnery, and the beIfgerent whose
every shot carries home is practically certain to
h., 10 Vl,,4