The Washington herald., 1912-11-03

yHlLE the pr1nclpaNtleS Oh SOutn'
w ern Europe are hurting defiance al
their common enemy from the shad
cws cast by clouds Of war which have
been gathering pall-like over the Balkans
for more than a quarter of q century II
is interesting to note the improvement
in the mode of attack and defence which
the fighting experts of these States may
introduce in the course of hostilties. Thai
the death roll will be heavy is not likely
notwithstanding the many new and eiab
GRATED implements Of war which may b<
used, The day of needless waste of hu
man life on the battlefield is past and nc
more do commanding onicers Of civilized
troops expect to order wholesale sacrihc'
of their men ON the altar of expediency.
Whereas in the campaigns Of the early
part Of last century everything soldier
did in the field, except forage for rations
was executed under the direct supervision
of an officer, to-day the enlisted man act'
on his own initiative except in the early
development of an engagement with the
enemy. He thinks for himself and he
fights for himself, and his principal duty
besides making the most Of every ad
vantage toward the subsection of his foe
is tolbreserye his life and health 90 that
he may live and remain strong enough
to fight another day.
Warfare's art as it has been changed
in its demonstration by the armies OF the
world, following lessons taught in the
great conflicts and campaigns OF the last
century, has been carried gradually, step
by step, back to the ancient mode oil
fxhtinx instituted by the American In
dian. The expert skirmisher of any army
of the leading world Powers to-day emu
lates the Indian in his every movement as
he goes into action.
Except for the fact that the American,
British, German, French or japanese SOL.
der on the firing line is clad in KHAKI
or dust-colored uniform, carries with him
drinking water in q sealed bottle ana
furnishes the power behind . vastly su'
perior death-dealing frearm, he might De
a Sioux brave on the warpath.
Ipasmuch as it is necessary, In kiiline
ones fellow man or in being killed BY
him. if not with malice atorethought u
least with more or less premeditation, to
go back to first principles, the red mans
method of wasins war has come almost
universally to be recognized as the best
by military authorities of the world. 50,
therefore, the warriors Of the armies OF
the Balkan States will stalk the willy
Turks in the manner approved BY the
American Indian of many years ago, ana
the willy Turks will no doubt employ sim
liar tactics. That which caused the In
dams to adopt the shrewd, cover-seeking.
open-order mode of attack. is responsible
for the recourse to their methods by mas
ters of the modern art of carrying arms.
The Indians we're marksmen. With the
bow and arrow and later with the rifle
they excelled, and the American. frontien-
man and the soldier in the frontier cam
paigns had necessarily to adopt his style
Of fighting in order to beat him at hip
own game.
The rife has been developed to such
perfection that it is impossible for troops
to-day to advance except in the most ex-
tended order against . well intrenched
foe. trained in the use of his weapon.
Even in open formation. unless the skir-
misher has been made proficient in util-
King svey available piece Of cover or