Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-10-12

fectiveness of the bayonet. Reports
speak as If the two sides have often
clashed hand to hand. This, thinks
the American expert whose views are
here quoted, is a misleading. When
one side is unable to check an attack,
a bayonet charge by the attacking
party has decided moral effect. The
defense feels that il rifle fire can not
stay charge it is about time to get
out However, most battles are
fought at about half a mile range.
and unless the way for an advance
has been prepared by artillery, or the
opposing side is weak in numbers,
the range is seldom shortened.
,, Much criticism, even ridicule, has
developed upon the German method
of volley firing with the rifle butt
placed to the hip. This is condemned
because it does not permit of any ac-
curacy in fire. On the other hand
even the American army has aband-
oned the idea of having a force of
crack shots and now merely aims at
good general average. Too much
has perhaps been made of the precis-
ion of the modern rifles. Each rifle
develops eccentricities from day to
day, and in battle there Is no way to
ascertain the errors or to get an ac-
curate range, especially in a damp
country where the bullets raise no
dust. Yet well placed rifle fire does
tell, and this Is the only thing that
saved the British forces from annihi-
lation at Mons The old Boer trick
of naming a certain number of sharp
shooters to fire at will in an endeavor
to pick off officers while the remand
er sent in volleys proved a disastrous
surprise to the Germans. The old
saying that it takes a ton of lead to
kill man Is still true. 1t is estimat-
ed there Is one hit in every $500
shots, as accuracy of instrument is
overcome by the greater distance of
| fire.
1t is still too early to learn the part
cavalry is now playing. American
army officers are divided into two
schools on the subject of cavalry,
those who believe cavalry should play
its historic part in battle, and those
who regard cavalry as effective only
in scouting, in acting as mounted in
fantry when 1t is necessary to rush
men to weak point, there to dis
mount and advance on foot, and last
ly in following up a rout. Artillery
|
have SO far caused a great slaughter
on horses. The United States war
college had enough faith in cavalry
however, to plan a division of it at
the time Intervention in Mexico was
threatened
Machine guns figure largely in the
reports, but they are still believed to
be of real advantage only in sweep
ing streets and open roads, since their
fire Is scattered and they have ten
dency to jamb. They appear to do
their greatest damage in pot shoot
ing.
Popular imagination is greatly STIR
red by reports of airships But these
are not feared by soldiers, except in
cases where they are able to signal to
the enemy the range to their artil-
lery. Even in scouting they fly sew
eral miles high, so high as to be un-
able to detect anything more than the
movements of large masses of men,
providing the atmospheric conditions
are favorable. Deplored troops would
be hard to distinguish. The amount
of explosives the machines are able to
carry is, in the military phrase. con-
temptible.
| Lie Ieell ieSSOn the war so Tar
teaches, finds the critic, is the i'm
mense advantage of military prepa-
ration. Germany overlooked nothing
Her forces We're seasoned and provis-
Toned and transport perfect. If
France Belgium and Russia had been
as poorly prepared as England, Ger
many would have won the war in a
month.
|
Britain's regular army is excellent
so far as it goes, but it forms only
one section of the line of the allies
Some of the best of the territorials,
who correspond to the American Ma
tional Guard, have been sent to the
front, while the rest are used to re-
iieve the regulars in Gibraltar. India
and other foreign stations. Lord
Kitchener himself says that the new
volunteer army win not be ready for
use until spring. 1t would be murder
to send raw troops against veterans.
! Whether Britain will have to come
to CONSUMPTION is questionable, but
the announcement by the premier
that she would not was greeted in
parliament by cheers. Popular opin-
ion is strong against CONSUMPTION.
even in the form of a compulsory ma
tional guard, which it takes in New
England. But if some sort of forced
training had existed, even of kind
not to take men away from produc-
tive toll. Lord Kitchener's task would
be greatly eased. The War Office
says frankly that owing to this lack
of preparation the war is sure to be
Hlong and costly.