The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1911-01-24


ton in the world. In the manoeuvers
in Picardy eleven aeroplanes and four
dirigibles were in use. AS the result
of these tests the French army's aerial
feet will be increased without delay.
The military authorities already pos
sess thirty aeroplanes, and orders
have been given for thirty more
to be delivered as soon as possible.
They will consist of ten Bleriot mono
seven of which are to be capable of
carrying two passengers, besides the
pilot, and making a single flight Of
$50 miles at a minimum speed OF
thirty-six miles an hour. Prizes have
been offered by the minister Of war
for machines that will fly in excess
Of this speed.
Never before has there been such
a great contrast in mimic warfare as
In these evolutions in Picardy. Nov
ing along the highways were great
automobile wagon trains loaded with
supplies for the troops. Far in ad-
vance and high up in the air scared
the aeroplanes. They seemed like
huge-winged birds of prey lowering
over the earth ready to swoop down
when they sighted their quarry. In
reality they were spying out the po-
sition of the opposing force which.
under ordinary circumstances, would
have been hidden by the contour of
the country. The aeroplanes moved
swiftly to and fro directing the SLOW
err progress Of the foot soldiers and
the cavalry and the supply trains.
Because the air-men made the way
sure and plain for those upon the
earth. the troops lost no time or eff
fort in aimless wanderings. but pro-
ceeded directly to their destination
by the shortest route.
The first and most important prin-
ciple of the art of war consists Of
concentrating at a given time at
some point in contact with the enemy
a force superior to his at that point.
One eminent authority expressed 1t
as the principle Of "gittin' thar fust-
test with the mostest men" The rest
| of the game of war is a relatively SIM
|
the mere question of comparative
man-killing or man-scaring capacity.
All other considerations being any
where near equal. the question of be-
ing able to move rapidly is the thing
that counts in war. The best OF
troops are worthless to a commander
unless he can have them where he
v,xr xx-h0 hD ,v,tc hnv
and. moreover, in a condition to do
what he wants them to do.
The fighting men are useless unless
they can reach the place of conflict
in time to take part In it, and they
are equally without value If the eff
fort to get there exhausts them. That
Is why, the aeroplanes are so tremen
dous!y useful in spying out the loca
ton II the enemy and enabling the
troops to reach that point with the
very least amount of exertion.
But no matter how fast the troops
may march they must be fed rsgu
larly. That is where the automobile
supply trains come in-huge motor
driven trucks that never grow tired
A bursting she'll might disable the
horses dragging the commissary
wagons or the ammunition caissons
but it would take a we'll placed sho
in vital part Of an automobiles ma
chinery to put 1t out of commission
Then, too, a wounded horse canno
be repaired. but wounded motol
truck can be patched up unless 1t 4!
blown into smithereens.
The problem Of food supplies I!
one Of the great things in war. 1t Il
an old and trite saying that an arm,
really travels upon its belly. Al
army Is a city flung down suddenly
over night. as It were, in the coun
try. 1t moves day by day In such I
manner as to require constant at
tention and changes Of plan as to IT
subsistence. It cannot move a stel
faster than its food supply travel
and 1t can maintain . position only al
long a. It is properly fed there. Al