The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1908-07-20
THE SWORD.
The Reason For Its Restoration in Eu.
ropean Armies.


As the result of experiences Of off.
Gers in the Boer war; Great Britain re.
lcgated the sword entirely to parade
uses. In its place officers were supplied
with a small carbine, something like
the ancient fusil, which they were to
carry. in actual service. In effect the
officer was made to look like the en-.
listed men as much as possible. Those
long distance marksmen, the Beers,
picked out the officers By the flash of
their swords and consequently the NOR
tslity among holders OF commissions
was great, to the decentralization of the
men in the ranks. Germany for the
some reason also took away the sword
from officers and armed thom with a
small rifle. The theory of the change
was that all wars were fought and
would continue to be fought at such
long ranges that the sword would be
cf no value as a weapon, while officers
would be made more conspicuous tar
gets by brandishing it and as they d..
rected the movements of their men. Now
as the result of the observations of the
RussoJapanese war the sword has been
restored to officers both of the British
and the German armies. The fierce
ress of the struggle between the Japan
csc and the Russians, the frequency
with which both armies fought at close
quarters, the activity displayed by the
Japanese officers in personal leadership,
the frequent value of the sword not
only in point the way but in personal
combats have wrought radical change
in European expert opinion as to its
value. 1t is realized that practice has
impeached theory and that men in
spired by heroic leadership or by pat
riotic impulse will disregard zones of
FIRE and will rush them with such en-
ergy as to discompose defenders armed
with long range weapons and render
their aim wild.
The argument or the restoration of
the sword is both practical and senti-
mental. Ii is to the officer what the
baton is to the orchestra leader, even
if he is not called upon to use it in
elf-defence. In the past it has ever
been the point of charge and it has
always been the mark of the officer.
Reasons which may be called those of
morale have also pleaded for its re
storation. There is a distinction which
cannot be oblterated and never should
be ignored between the officer and the
man. Anything which deprives the for
mer of distinguished mark of his
rank must react on discipline and in
terferc with that subordination without
which an army soon becomes but
mcb, distinguished from other mobs
only by the uniformity of its clothing.
Fanciful as it may appear to civilians,
there can be little doubt that the officer
without his sword is an officer who has
undergone a considerable reduction Of
his influence.
Probably the future use of the sword
will be simply to emphasize the leader
ship of officers. Personal eombats will
become rare despite the record of the
Japanese war; Such a persisted death
dcspising hatred as the armies of Rus
sia and Japan manifested for each other
is not frequently encountered in his
tory. Most armies, especially those of
the great military Powers, fought with
= purely professional interest and en-
ttrtained for one another no feeling |
resembling rancor. Long range firing
efficiency still promises to be the de- |
tcrmining factor battles, other con.
iitions being equal. Personal eneoun-
tiers between officers of high rank are
II infrequent occurrence. Some of the |
most distinguished leaders of men in |
battle have relied upon personal ex-
ample of indifference to danger rather |
than upon weapons Afurat found a
riding wand sufficient for his purposes
n directing the charge of the Napoleon
i cavalry He very seldom wore a
sword. Chinese Gordon pointed the
way Of "the ever inyincible army" with /
, bamboo cane, and doubtless other in
stances might be cited Of Generals
who in service never drew sword for
my purpose other than TO return a
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