The sun., 1908-05-13

SNt1ertan0 told pack Observation-Disclosures. coal
Switzerland experimental pack, 1907 D."r.,. 500
The French nfantTyInan therefore carries
the llEhtest pack and the French Alpine
chasseur the heaviest. The average pack
weighs o. Al pounds.
The United states soldier marches very
light, but then he has no prescribed intrench-
ing tools or individual cooking implements
(other than his mess kit TO carry, 20 that
Il Is not possible 10 compare his equipment
directly with that Of the European soldier.
IL Is q remarkable fact that although our.
soldiers In the civil war taught the world
the art Of intrenohlng on the field, ours Is
to-day the only important army not pro-
Vlded with definite portable lntrenchng tool
for the men 10 carry in their packs The les
sons OF 1891 90 Austria had not learned in 1860.
nor France In 1901. But In lS77-7S Turkey
had learned the lessons. aud Russia paid
the penalty OF her neglect. Al the beginning
OF the South African war England again
paid the penalty Of neglectlng field ntrench-
ment, whereas the Beers made full use OF it.
The recent campaign In ManchurIa has
again called attention TO It's great importance
IN battle. and the military world Ia once
more restlessly striving 10 perfect the in
fantry equipment in that respect.
In the European armies the intrenchng
tools carried into the field are definitely pre-
sorlbed IN regulations Some Of these are
carried by the men In their packs. others on
special wagons accompanying the troops.
For example, the soldiers Of a battalion OF
Infantry In Germany carry the following
900 short handled spades, 40 pickaXes and
20 axes and hatohets. The engineers and
other special arms carry a greater supply,
including also saws, wire cutters, &c, which
are also carried by the cavalry. Recently
the folding saw carried by the cavalry IN
Germany has been improved so that It's two
wooden packing sticks can be used as handles
for the three eornered fle and the round awl
The question OF reducing the weight Of the
pack Exclusive OF arms and ammunition has
occupied the military world for long time,
but now II Is proposed 10 reduce the number
Of rounds Of ammunition carried by the SOL
der because II Ia believed that ninety rounds
q man tinstead OF I2O or 1907 will be quite
sufficient for ell ordinary cases. OF course
this is only q proposed change. il will prob
ably meet with little favor, but Il IL a matter
worth considering
DR.. HogyesSa Hungarian army surgeon.
proposed inlaid soles or socks OF asbestos for
the soldiers. and they have been adopted for
"
marching capacity Of the soldier il less on.
dangered by his getting tired than by the
sensitiVeness Of the skin Of the feet In COM
ing In contact with the leather OF the shoe.
A new weapon has recently been invented |
which promises to be Of great use for srmlng !,
the cavalry, namely, a sabre pistol This I
invention Is due to Herr August Kirehnen, Jr.,
Rheydt, Rheinland, Germany, aud consists |
OF a self-loading Browning pistol introduced |
In the grip Of the sabre. When the sabre is |
held vertically. edge 70 the left, TO put the |
pistol In place the barrel of the pistol is passed
from the right between the two !
shells OF the grip, near its top. the hutt Of the
pistol lying vertically between the two shells
VI which the grip is composed. At a carry"
therefore. the pistol would point in the di-
rectiOn Of the eRemy. The magazine, hold |
ing nine rounds. IL introd uced into the pistol |
from the bottom OF the sabre grip. The
pistol Is removed from the hilt Of the sabre
by first pulling Oft the magazine, then lifting !
! spring, taking out the pistol and replacing |
The magazine IN IT, This requires only few
seconds The pistol can be used either in
Ihe sabre or separately.
Neither France nor Germany has definitely
decided on the exact color Of field uniform.
AZ least such II the official statement. Tn
Dticially Il appears to be known that Ger
many at least has concluded her ~ Nperiments
adopted her field color and IL now having the
'lothlng storehOUses filled with the new
uniform clothing The color reported to
have been adopted Ia gray-green. slightly
shading into brown, as best adapted for the
landscape conditions Of central Europe.
The Official announcement of the adoption
II the new field uniform will probably soon
Ollow.
BY q recent order the German infantry pack
8 to be reduced in weight a. follows, by
srrying the third days ratons some other
way, so that the soldier carries only two: by
educing the weight OF the knapsaok. over
oat and cleaning material and carrying a
'art OF Il some other way; by leaving on
lightly tents from the present supply for each
ompany on war footing; by carrying part
4 the lntrenohing tools or field telephones
N the ammunition wagons; by leaving on
art Of the load Of the pack wagon and utlliz-
ng the space to tighten the load carried by
he men. Portable field kitchens are to he
5hnitelY introduced. and the third days ra-
IONS are TO be carried on them.
The company pack wagons are to be light
ned by leaving out the greater part Of the
rlnted regulations prescribed and the re-
erve articles, BY this means room Is made
DR. 100 overcoats OF 100 tents, or 20 packed
napsaoks. or li5 spades. pickaXes and axes,
7 1900 rounds Of ammunition. which can be
ken from the weaker among the men.