Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-03-27
CHANGES N TACTICS
Conclusions of the German
General Staff.
FRONTAL ATTACK GIVEN UP
The Example Of the Beers Being
Practiced.
EXPERIENCE OF THE JAPANESE
Annihilating Effect Of Their Artillery
Fire-Investtgation Of Germany's
Army Preparations.
FRONTAL ATTACK GIVEN UP
EXPERIENCE OF THE JAPANESE

Although reassurng tidings are succeed
ing each. other daily from Algeciras, the
governments of the United States Great
Britain and Italy have been carrying on a
secret investigation of the army prepara-
lions made by Germany. This iuvestiga-
ton had q beginning at the time of the
German annual maneuvers last autumn,
and their object at that time was to look
into the field preparations and to study
ana anaiyze German war tactics.
ms action on the part of the above
named nations was taken because the gov
ernments believed that war tactics In gen.
eral are no abstract thing And in Ger
many. where militarism Is rampant ana
the national fever is to go to war, SO to
speak. there is presented the most interest
ing as well as the most serious army prob
lem The Germans. it cannot be denied,
unable UP to the present time to direct their
energies toward navy in efficiency COM
mensurate with the Importance OF their
country. gave themselves completely to the
building and rearing of an army, which
makes up to the Germans for what navy
they lack
Present German Tactics
The present German war tactics were
created in Lorraine during the first battles
OF 1870. and are written in the blood of
nearly 10000 men. The Germans have
given their greatest efficiency to the artii-
lery, by which they have won all their
battles. According to a foreign military
attache. the A, B, Of German military
science has been attack and the strategy
OF the empires army can be summed up In
one word-dril Keep your troops in
hand cry the officers land make good use
of your cartridges-the rest does not mat
ter This is equivalent to the American
no ma hat f,,I 80 i1
the man who wins the battle
The German tactics developed during the
Franco-Prussian war prevailed in Europe
for thirty years and in the last decade or
SO they were also adopted by the Ameri-
cans, the Japanese and the Turks The
French have been perfecting a system
based upon the German, but they have also
looked into the Italian war tactics which
have made the infantry a most dependable
body in warfare.
Discontinue Of the British.
The British. on the other hand. tried the
same tactics against the Beers, people who
lived by the chase, and they proved almost
deathly to themselves. According to a
military expert, the English placed their
artillery well. and fired long and with ac-
curacy. Then they sent their infantry
forward in large masses. But the Beers
used another method. They lined up in
eiOupc aho Sdi4ic SloWlS upOn tflSlT tNeIuy,
steadily firing all the while. This method
which stood about 750 yards from them,
daring not to go forward, and unable to
retreat. This was something new; no sud-
Den blow no surprise. no heavy artillery
least-the English have discarded the Ger
man Ideas and have taken up tactics OF
their own. However. the fundamental
principle is German, or like that of the
fha 10
what like the English.
Adopting the Boer Attack.
The German general staff has decided
that the empire must change its war tao
tics as the times change The frontal at
tack, therefore is about abolished, and
the body guard in Berlin has begun to prac-
tice the Boer attack more zealously than
they did their own. But some nations hest
tated to adopt the new method. In the
Russo-Japanese war. instead. the ineffec-
tiveness OF the Boer tactics was demon
strated.
A prominent army officer In commenting
upon the subject. said
THE japanese fought in the German
way, and to Europe soon came reports that
their artillery fire was annihilating the
Russians; moreover, the japanese made
the most beautiful normal attack with
drums and music. They stormed and took
the heights. With amazement the rest of
the world heard that the first tactical prin-
ciple Of the Japanese was: Happy the
man who dies with his fame surviving him..
Yet the Japanese did not seem to suffer the
heavy losses expected. In Germany the
staff officers said: What foohshness these
Englishmen have taught US, 1t was simply
because they could not use our attack
Their soldiers were not schooled like ours;
their soldiers were actually cowardly.
They had very small losses compared with
the numbef Of prisoners. See how well
the Japanese are doing It. The Germans
have taught them everything The Ger
mans, moreover, were convinced that the
Boer attack does not suit the national popu-
lar temper
It must be said that the Germans, al
though immodestly proud Of their army,
have some excuse for 1t. Constant drilling
and discipline mean more to the empire
than the rest Of the world has realized.