New-York tribune., 1909-09-25
Manufacture in America.

were the least likely elements necessary to nU-
man progress. tut = closer view slcRs mat quite
the contrary is the truth. Gunrowder blow the
world out cf the rut into widc,, IA had fallen
during the Dark Ages. j. painjui transi-
tion. but like radical surgical operation lbat
| removes a Incrhd growth. it djd its work o't. "a
thoroueiae,s neecr before even considered ire the
| history O. the world
! The chief mission ii EuDpr..drr to t.anl.. ud
Was tc equaiize incn of unequal physical
strength In cider times the kIi1lt whose
| great muscles allowed lin 90 sAing "a double
handed sword and moR down his cu-I1."s IA
battle was tie greatest influence ia tr world
/ lie WAS Ur coEqucralIc &C. lesser men. IIe was
invulncrahle "a equals H. strength wlc did not
/ possess his skin and protective ;trInuI. ,,nd r.
actual battle his side feyer heater until J'''
/ last knight was overwhelmed. SluElc-lauted ~
could turn the scale Of victory ir Glaze fight nd
tc hro tie whole world paid homage.
Ills were the honors Of peace and tie fruits 4
war. ard right royalty did re accept them as njs
just due II his cause was just and Was crl-
un phant no harm resulted t. humanity. hut IL
the cause OF the hostllites happened to bc un-
just and tyrabuicsd his power for evil could ue
measured only Icy h's capacity to do a. 'rAs
world helpless before the ~ith tho
sword
Then came gunTowder - q factor In war. and
In the twfnkiing Of an eye the whole phase oi the
situation changed. The individual champion.
who formerly bad hsd things very much hIs own
way. feli back into the ranks There VAS moth
ing supeFiuman about a knight who could be
killed by bullet feed ny man who "egncd
one Hundred rounds eud VINO stood completely
hey cud the reach Of the searching sword of the
giant when he touched of his crude matchbox
Ir those early days cf gunpowder tue weapons
were crude aud Ineffective compared with those
-g.Ir
20 make The little unarmGred man superior 10
the pcndercus figure on horseback, armed only
with tong spear. battieaKe or sword.
When mere brute force fell changing tc earth
with the displacement cf the individual bullying
champions the world sterped forth into the
smiling sunlight Of progress and gunpowder had
written It's first great victory upon the ragcs OF
human history. II was ono Of the greatest helps
that man had encountered since the race began.
Many hold that the use cf gunrowdcr has
proved the greatest Of al the aids 10 humanity.
They say that when Tnan threw of thc domino
tic, cf the physical individual through it, use
in i.atte and It's threat H. times Of peace hu-
Inanity was placed in position TO expand along
every conceivable tine. and that the advance
rnent that was Immediately noted in the prog
rcss of mankind due first and Last tr the
power contained in explosives.
re that az II may # is a fact that after gun
powder had been given thorough trial in war
the world turned sharply. almost eagerly toward
development along the lines Of peace.
The history OF gunpowdcr IL shroudcd IN the
misty uncertainty OF the DARK Ages. Greek fire.
probably some combination Of potassium nitrate
With sulphur and charcoal. used IN print
tive fashion IN the defence OF Conataniinoplc in
Geo There is record that the defenders Of
that city used the Greek FIRE 80 fropc pro-
jectilcs upon the TURKS and tie records tend TO
show that Greek fire Was used on that occasion
ia much the way that the dragon papers
OF the Chinese are used to-day to scare the
besicgers away from the walls.
There are also some misty legends about the
use Of powder 10y ihe Arabs prior TO 1850. but the
first real combination Of the chemicals with any
! thing like scientific skin was accomplished by
Roger Bacon in England in 1910. The reports
that the Chinese and other Asiatc nations used
gunpowder long before that date are too uncer-
tain to receive much crcdcnce. at least far as
! tie use of powder 60 shoot projectiies IS con-
cerned
IN The battle Of Crtcy. IT, 1916. pow der 1as
: used IN artillery. and the fate Of the physical
! bully was sealed for ali tine. From hat mo
nieht the world knew that cooperation o. indl-
viduais was king and the who hy reason
Of his physical force ard skill had held dominion
! so long had been dethroncd Science WaKed
popular Industry knocked off its fetters and
the world moved forward with bound
! From the benighted general condition Of that
day il required $50 years to develop q Christie
| pher Columbus And who will say that there
was one feeble chance OF his going perllous
| voyage OF discovery into the heart OF unknown
seas. where he might encounter bordes OF saw
ages without the force and pOise given TO his
soldiers and sailors 10y their knowledge Of the