New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1909-08-21
THE NEW ENGLAND WAR CANE

THE NEW ENGLAND WAX CANE.
Ii is, of course. fair criticism of the war
game played this week in Eastern Massachu-
sets that II did not demonstrate what would
have happened in actual war. No one can-say
that Boston would or would not have fallen as
the result of an attack by foreign force equal
in numbers to General Bsss army and led with
equal skill had that city been defended by an
American force equal 10 that led by General
Pew The conditions under which the campaign
was fought were skeletonized, so to speak So
many elements I'm the real equation of war were
eliminated that the result announced by the UNI
plres can be accepted merely as balancing the
merits of the generalship on each SIDE not as
determining the actual defensibility of the chief
city Of New England from certain form of at
tack.
From 4 military as well popular point of
view the exercises just ended have been pro-
nounced success They have attracted wider at
tention than any previous American experiments
in campaigning on a large scale. In the first
place, they have been conducted in a region easily
accessible to newspaper correspondents and have
been reported in great detail In the second
place, they have had the added zest of represent
ing descent by water on part of our coast,
such as would occur i'm case of a genuine inva-
sion 10y a foreign army. The manpuvres at
Manassas few years ago mimicked conditions
which could not exist except in civil war This
week the Imagination of the country has been
caught by the idea of an invasion from over sea.
The troops gathered for the defence of Boston
were also such as would be most likely TO be
employed in the event of a successful surprise
They were state forces exclusively, acting in
their normal relation as auXillarieS 10 not vet
available regular troops The test was one which
could not well have been made ten years ago or
even five years ago. The organization of the
auxiliary force of volunteers has not been adj
yanced enough until recently To warrant war
game on large scale In which they alone should
take part At Manassas and at other summer
exercise camps regulars have been mixed with
volunteers. But this year in Eastern Massachu-
setts only small regular cavalry command was
present The benefits of the laws reOrganizing
the militia system now becoming apparent
The second line OF military defence has been
strengthened, and volunteer force uniform in
equipment, training and discipline has been Gre
ated. capable of takng the field unassisted and
with credit to itself.
The exceedingly trying weather Of the early
part Of the week was a severe test of the quality
Of the two armies. Citizen soldiers hurrledy
called into the field could not well have had a
harsher struggle with the elements and the
completion of the campaign under circumstances
so unfavorable proved the substantial lighting
capacity of these relatively raw troops The
public has often been IN a mood To smile at war
games rs an affectation. and their cost has been
loudly complained Of in Congress, The Massa-
chusetts campaign will do much 10 reverse that
mental attitude and 10 enlist popular support for
mimic campaigns, which, It Is clearly seen. de
velop genuine military virtues and afford in
structon which may some day be immensely
profitable.