The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1914-10-01
Modern Warfare

itary inventive genius could ask no
better test than the war in Europe
affords. In the last AZ hours re-
markable exhibitions of the posi-
bilities of the submarine and the
aeroplane have been staged while an
awe. struck and scarcely believing
world looks IN. We have read in
scientific publications for the last
half dozen years of what the mill
tary planned to do with these
strange craft. Today we gaze with
fascinated horror upon actual dem
onstrations of their efficiency.
One lone submarine, a steel bulb
little bulkier than the main gun tur-
rets of a first class %battleship, dives
below the surface of the North sci
and feels its way in the depths to a
position below a fleet of battleships.
The fsh-like thing discharges from
its mouth a smaller ish.like thing
which forces its way through the
water toward the keels of the I'M
suspecting war ships aboye-and
hurries away. Three big vessels.
torn asunder. sink to the bottom.
Five hundred miles aw az in the
enemy's country are long, steel
buildings resembling the train sheds
of an American railway terminal
station. Under their roofs are gil
gantic. cigar-shaped craft the very
thought of which brings terror to
cities. Already Antwerp, Paris and
other cities on the continent have
seen them in action. They have
viewed the wreckage following a
visit from these huge ships of the
air. The heavens over Paris and
London are abIaze every night as
powerful searchlights cast shafts of
light every direction to detect a
Zeppelin which may, for all the ter
rified people down on the earth
know, he steering for a position over
the city to drop destructive bombs
A daring scheme to remove this
peril is decided upon. A half dozen
daredevils, accompanied by their as
sista0ts, Chamber aboard as many
fragile box kites, start the sputter-
ing gas motors and mount at terrific
speed into the skies Five hundred
miles they travel faster than any ex-
press train has ever gone. They
circle high above the long, So ell
buildings and drop bombs. The
sheds and the Zepplins within are
blown to atoms.
This is twentieth century warfare.
The object of these wonderful de-
vices is not so much the destruction
of human life as the destruction of
the enemy's fighting equipment.
Sometimes men who find it possible
to associate considerations OF ethics
with a thing SO savage as warfare,
call the dropping of bombs from
overhead and the discharge of tor
pedoes from under the ocean un.
sportmanlike. We hesitate TO enter
into a discussion so involved, but
there is a side to this question that
has a humane appeal. Down on the
earth the contending armies are
slaughtering thousands of brave
men. The use of air craft and sub
marines thus far has cost compare
few lives. A ship cannot be blown
no, of course, without many fatal
ties nor a forts and Zeppelin sta
tions receive bombs from above
without the loss of lives. But these
are a trIfe by comparison with the
losses on the battle lines where men
stand face to face and pour steel in.
to one anCther's body.
Contine the purpose or the ruling
intent of the new implements OF
warfare to the destruction, not OF
lives. but Of the enemv's equipment
and warfa re, bad as it Is at it's best
will have improved. Sioux Falls
Press.